swell
swell — 動詞
1. when something grows bigger, often becoming rounder in shape, or when its size,
腫脹；膨脹
因受傷、液體或數量增加而變大
when something grows bigger, often becoming rounder in shape, or when its size, amount, or volume increases. A body part can swell after an injury; a crowd can swell as more people arrive; a river can swell after heavy rain; a feeling can swell inside you.
Femi's ankle began to swell badly after he twisted it during the football match.
Femi 在足球比賽中扭傷腳踝後，腳踝開始嚴重腫脹。
body part + swell after injury
The crowd outside the stadium swelled to nearly twenty thousand by evening.
到了傍晚，體育場外的群眾增加到近兩萬人。
crowd/group swells as numbers increase
Heavy rainfall caused the river to swell, forcing several families to leave their homes.
暴雨導致河水暴漲，迫使好幾戶人家撤離家園。
Élise felt her heart swell with joy when she saw the surprise party her friends had arranged.
Élise 看到朋友為她準備的驚喜派對時，心中充滿了喜悅。
The organisation swelled its membership by offering big discounts to new members.
該組織以大幅折扣吸引新會員，從而擴大了會員人數。
文法句型
swell (up)
swell + noun phrase
swell with + noun
用法筆記
Intransitive use is far more common. The transitive form (swell + direct object) is used mainly in formal or business contexts, e.g. 'swell the ranks' or 'swell the numbers'. The past participle 'swollen' is common as an adjective describing a body part that has increased in size.
常見錯誤
2. when music or a sound swells, it gradually becomes louder and fuller, often crea
增強；變大聲
音樂或聲音逐漸變得更大更飽滿
when music or a sound swells, it gradually becomes louder and fuller, often creating an intense or dramatic effect
The orchestra's music swelled as the violins entered with the main melody.
小提琴奏出主旋律時，樂團的音樂聲漸漸增強。
orchestral music swells
Jenna felt a chill run down her spine as the choir's voices swelled inside the old cathedral.
Jenna 感受到一陣寒意，因為合唱團的聲音在古老的大教堂中迴盪增強。
voices swell in a space
The sound of the drums swelled and then faded away as the parade moved down the street.
鼓聲隨著遊行隊伍沿街前進而逐漸變大，然後又慢慢消失。
Bilal turned up the volume as the guitar solo swelled toward its peak.
Bilal 在吉他獨奏逐漸推向高潮時調高了音量。
- grow louder
more literal and less dramatic; no musical connotation
- crescendo
technical music term; can also be used figuratively for any rising intensity
文法句型
swell (in volume)
music/sound swells
用法筆記
Often used in music reviews and descriptions of live performances. The opposite movement is 'fade' or 'die away'. Frequently paired with prepositions like 'to' or 'toward' to indicate a peak.
swell — 名詞
1. the long, smooth up-and-down motion of ocean water far from shore, where the sur
海浪；湧浪
海面平穩的上下起伏運動
the long, smooth up-and-down motion of ocean water far from shore, where the surface rises and falls gently in unbroken waves. Unlike regular waves, a swell travels steadily for long distances across the sea.
The fishing boat rose and fell gently with the ocean swell throughout the night.
那艘漁船整晚隨著海面上的湧浪輕輕起伏。
boat rises and falls with the swell
Surfers looked for the perfect swell that would carry them all the way to the shore.
衝浪者尋找完美的湧浪，希望能一路衝到岸邊。
A heavy swell from the storm arrived at the coast hours after the wind had died down.
暴風雨引發的巨大湧浪在風勢減弱數小時後才抵達海岸。
Feng felt seasick as the steady swell of the open sea rocked the small sailboat from side to side.
Feng 感覺到暈船，因為開闊海域的穩定湧浪讓小帆船左右搖晃。
- surge
a sudden strong forward movement of water, less regular than a swell
- undulation
technical term for any wavy up-and-down motion; less common in everyday speech
文法句型
the swell
a heavy swell
the swell of the sea/ocean
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'wave': a swell is a long, smooth undulation of the water surface, while a wave is a shorter, steeper movement that usually breaks. Swells travel long distances across the open ocean; waves form closer to shore.
常見錯誤
2. a gradual build-up in how loud a piece of music gets, often followed by a gradua
聲音增強
樂器或音樂音量的逐漸增大
a gradual build-up in how loud a piece of music gets, often followed by a gradual decrease. This creates a dramatic wave-like effect in the sound.
A great swell of organ music filled the church as the wedding ceremony began.
一陣宏亮的管風琴聲充滿了教堂，婚禮儀式於焉展開。
swell of organ music fills a space
The conductor raised his hands, and a powerful swell rose from the string section.
指揮舉起雙手，弦樂部奏出強而有力的漸強音。
Ignacio loved the dramatic swell in the final movement of the symphony.
Ignacio 喜愛交響樂最後樂章中那段戲劇性的漸強。
Manuela listened to the swell of the brass instruments and felt her excitement grow.
Manuela 聽著銅管樂器的聲音逐漸增強，感到越來越興奮。
- diminuendo
technical music term for a gradual decrease in loudness
文法句型
a swell of + music/sound
the swell of + instrument
用法筆記
Often used as 'a swell of + music/sound', this sense is closely related to the verb sense 2. Unlike the verb, which describes the action, the noun refers to the sound event itself.
3. an old-fashioned, informal word for a person who is rich, fashionable, and from
時髦人士
有錢且穿著時尚的上流社會人物（舊式用法）
an old-fashioned, informal word for a person who is rich, fashionable, and from a high social class. Used especially in early 20th-century British English.
The hotel lobby was full of swells in expensive suits and elegant dresses.
飯店大廳裡到處是身穿昂貴西裝和優雅禮服的時髦人士。
swells dressed elegantly
In the old novel, the young swell spends his family fortune on parties and travel.
在那本舊小說中，年輕的時髦人士把家產都花在派對和旅遊上。
young swell in a novel
Grandfather used to call anyone wearing a top hat a swell and laugh at their fancy manners.
爺爺以前把任何戴高帽的人都叫做時髦人士，並嘲笑他們故作優雅的姿態。
In old movies, the villain is often a rich swell who looks down on the poor hero.
在舊電影裡，反派角色往往是看不起窮英雄的有錢時髦人士。
文法句型
a swell
the swells
用法筆記
This sense is dated and rarely used today outside of historical fiction or humorous references. Learners should recognise it in older texts but avoid using it actively in modern conversation.
swell — 形容詞
1. very good, excellent, or enjoyable. An informal, positive way to say that someth
很好的
非正式用語，表示非常好或令人愉快
very good, excellent, or enjoyable. An informal, positive way to say that something is nice or that you are pleased with it.
"That's a swell idea!" Jack said when Ayesha suggested a picnic at the lake.
「真是個好主意！」Ayesha 建議去湖邊野餐時，Jack 說道。
swell idea — positive reaction
Esme thought the little café by the station was a swell place to meet friends.
Esme 覺得車站旁的那家小咖啡館是個適合跟朋友見面的好地方。
Ilan had a swell time at the amusement park, going on all the rides twice.
Ilan 在遊樂園玩得很開心，每項設施都玩了兩次。
Manuela's grandmother always said "Everything is just swell!" whenever the family gathered for dinner.
Manuela 的祖母每當家人聚餐時總是說「一切都好極了！」
文法句型
be swell
a swell + noun
用法筆記
Very common in American English up to the mid-20th century. Now it sounds somewhat old-fashioned or playful — younger speakers may use it sarcastically to suggest things are NOT going well. Avoid in formal writing.
常見錯誤
swell — 副詞
1. in a very good or satisfactory manner. Used informally to describe doing somethi
很好地
非正式用語，表示以令人滿意的方式進行
in a very good or satisfactory manner. Used informally to describe doing something well or succeeding at something.
"How is your new job going?" "Everything is going swell, thanks!" replied Femi.
「你的新工作如何？」Femi 回答：「一切都進行得很順利，謝謝！」
going swell — things are going well
The two business partners got along swell from the very first meeting they had.
兩位商業夥伴從第一次見面就相處得非常融洽。
get along swell = have a good relationship
Bilal was worried about the exam at first, but in the end everything turned out swell.
Bilal 原本很擔心考試，但最後一切結果都很好。
The children were doing swell at school, so their parents took them out for ice cream to celebrate.
孩子們在學校表現得很好，所以父母帶他們去吃冰淇淋慶祝。
- badly
in a poor or unsatisfactory manner
文法句型
do swell
get along swell
go swell
用法筆記
Like the adjective sense, this sounds old-fashioned or playful in modern English. 'Well' or 'fine' are more neutral alternatives. Often used in the phrase 'go swell' or 'get along swell'.