quell

1 of 3

verb

ˈkwel How to pronounce quell (audio)
quelled; quelling; quells
Synonyms of quell

transitive verb

1
: to thoroughly overwhelm and reduce to submission or passivity
quell a riot
2
: quiet, pacify
quell fears
queller noun

quell

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
obsolete : slaughter
2
archaic : the power of quelling

queller

3 of 3

noun (2)

quell·​er
-ə(r)
plural -s
: one that quells

Synonyms of quell

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Verb

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Examples of quell in a Sentence

Verb the National Guard was called in to help quell the late-night disturbances downtown the principal held up her hand to quell the students so they could hear the urgent announcement
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
Flock’s new privacy reforms do little to quell outrage among vandals targeting its traffic surveillance cameras. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2026 Maybe a trip down memory lane will quell some of the hard feelings. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026 Bradman was the top run scorer for Australia but had only one century in the series, suggesting his threat had been quelled. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026 District 65 officials hoped the leadership change could further quell anxieties over the $10-15 million budget reductions needed to make up its current deficit. — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for quell

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, to kill, quell, from Old English cwellan to kill; akin to Old High German quellen to torture, kill, quāla torment, Lithuanian gelti to hurt

Noun (1)

Middle English, from quellen to kill

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English cwellere killer, from cwellan to kill + -ere -er

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of quell was in the 14th century

Rhymes for quell

See All Rhymes for quell

Browse Nearby Words

quelite
quell
quellable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quell. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

quell

verb
ˈkwel
1
: to put down by force
quell a riot
2
: quiet entry 3
quell fears
queller noun

More from Merriam-Webster on quell

Nglish: Translation of quell for Spanish Speakers

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