Make Your Point > Archived Issues > QUELL
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pronounce
QUELL:
Say it "KWELL."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
To quell something is to stop it, to smash it, to crush it, to kill it, to qu___ it.
Can you recall that last synonym? Like the others in this list, it's just one syllable. (No, I didn't just repeat quell! I'm not Patches O'Houlihan.)
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Our word "quell" probably comes from an Old English one meaning "to kill, to murder." Here in English, that's what "quell" first meant: to kill.
But the meaning has morphed, and now, to quell people is to crush them, to defeat them, to bring them under total control.
And, more loosely, to quell something (like a fire, a disease, anger, or hunger) is to put a stop to it or at least get it under control.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Verb, the transitive kind: "That government quells any protests;" "This drug can quell the pain."
Other forms:
quelled, quelling, queller(s), quellable
how to use it:
This word is common, with a harsh, violent tone.
We often talk about quelling riots, uprisings, and protests. We can also talk about quelling outrage, criticism, speculation, rumors, etc.
Even if you use the word "quell" in a positive sense--as in "The thought quelled his nerves," "The song quelled her nightmares," "Nothing could quell her optimism," and "The vaccine will finally quell the pandemic"--you're still calling to mind the violent image of something being crushed completely.
examples:
"Mr Esper clashed with the president over the White House's use of the military to quell public unrest during protests over racial injustice."
— BBC, 9 November 2020
"Surges [in cases of the virus] that followed in early summer were beaten back, if not wholly quelled."
— Editorial Board, New York Times, 14 November 2020
has this page helped you understand "quell"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "quell" without saying "conquer" or "subdue."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "My nerves about _____ can be quelled only by _____."
Example: "My nerves about giving a presentation can be quelled only by extensive practice."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for January is "Find the Missing Link."
In each chain of words, find the one that's missing from the middle. This missing link, according to a thesaurus, is a synonym of each word on its left and right. But as you'll see, the words on the left and right are most definitely not synonyms!
For example, if I give you "special → _____ → typical," then you answer, "peculiar," because sometimes "peculiar" means "special, different, odd," but other times it means "typical of this, specific to this, distinctively this."
To see the answer, scroll all the way down. Your answer might be different from mine but just as good. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
explore → _____ → pierce
review this word:
1. A near opposite of QUELL is
A. PRAISE.
B. FOSTER.
C. FREEZE.
2. In an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a monster called a Queller _____.
A. attacks anyone acting loud and crazy
B. finds its way around without any eyes
C. senses people's memories and distorts them
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Say it "KWELL."
To quell something is to stop it, to smash it, to crush it, to kill it, to qu___ it.
Our word "quell" probably comes from an Old English one meaning "to kill, to murder." Here in English, that's what "quell" first meant: to kill.
Part of speech:
This word is common, with a harsh, violent tone.
"Mr Esper clashed with the president over the White House's use of the military to quell public unrest during protests over racial injustice."
Explain the meaning of "quell" without saying "conquer" or "subdue."
Fill in the blanks: "My nerves about _____ can be quelled only by _____."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
1. A near opposite of QUELL is
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
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