Definition

A condition where a part of the body becomes larger than normal, often due to injury or illness.

Example

After the bee sting, there was a noticeable swelling on her arm.

Conversation

I noticed a bit of swelling on my ankle after the game last night.

Oh no! Did you twist it or something?

Yeah, I think I landed awkwardly, and now it’s kind of painful.

You should probably ice it and keep it elevated to reduce the swelling.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Swelling → It is formed from "swell" (from Old English *swellan*, meaning to grow or increase in size) and "-ing" (a suffix used to form nouns indicating an action or result). The word "swelling" refers to the action or result of growing larger or increasing in size.

Memory Tip

Think of something that is 'growing' ('swell') and the '-ing' shows that it is an action or result. This helps you remember that 'swelling' means the process of becoming larger.

Visually Confused Words