dwell

verb

ˈdwel How to pronounce dwell (audio)
dwelled ˈdweld How to pronounce dwell (audio)
ˈdwelt
 or dwelt ˈdwelt How to pronounce dwell (audio) ; dwelling
Synonyms of dwell

intransitive verb

1
: to remain for a time
dwell in the hallway
2
a
: to live as a resident
the town in which he dwelled for eight years
the dwelling place of the gods
b
: exist, lie
where the heart of the matter dwells
3
a
: to keep the attention directed
—used with on or upon
tried not to dwell on my fears
b
: to speak or write insistently
—used with on or upon
reporters dwelling on the recent scandal
dweller
ˈdwe-lər How to pronounce dwell (audio)
noun

Synonyms of dwell

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of dwell in a Sentence

a cave where bats dwell dwelling with a farm family as an exchange student in France
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even so, there was little time to dwell on that silver lining. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026 Unlike the Hamptons, the area is known more for its food and wine scene than the celebrities who dwell in it. — Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 19 June 2026 Officials said the flames spread to two homes and an accessory dwelling unit. — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 29 June 2026 But Dixon has observed this player doesn’t dwell in frustration when his team loses. — Nicole Gregory, Oc Register, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dwell

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English dwellan to go astray, hinder; akin to Old High German twellen to tarry

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dwell was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing dwell

Rhymes for dwell

See All Rhymes for dwell

Browse Nearby Words

dweeble
dwell
dweller
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dwell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dwell. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

dwell

verb
ˈdwel How to pronounce dwell (audio)
dwelled ˈdweld How to pronounce dwell (audio) ˈdwelt How to pronounce dwell (audio) or dwelt ˈdwelt How to pronounce dwell (audio) ; dwelling
1
: to stay for a while
2
: to live in a place : reside
3
: to keep the attention directed
dwelled on their mistakes
dweller noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dwell

Nglish: Translation of dwell for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All