What does "dwell" mean?
A period of time in which a system or component remains in a given state.
Dwell
/dwɛl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A period of time in which a system or component remains in a given state.
- Grammar: dwell is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: brood, inhabit, live, abide.
- Useful contrasts: flit, hop, depart.
- Usage evidence: In a past-oriented society, people dwell on the past and on tradition.
How to use "dwell"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dwell" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dwell" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dwell" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dwell" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dwell" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "brood" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dwell", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A period of time in which a system or component remains in a given state.
- 2 A brief pause in the motion of part of a mechanism to allow an operation to be completed.
- 3 A planned delay in a timed control program.
- 4 In a petrol engine, the period of time the ignition points are closed to let current flow through the ignition coil in between each spark. This is measured as an angle in degrees around the camshaft in the distributor which controls the points, for example in a 4-cylinder engine it might be 55° (spark at 90° intervals, points closed for 55° between each).
Verb
- 1 To live; to reside. intransitive, literary
"I am fully resolved to go dwell in another house."
- 2 think moodily or anxiously about something wordnet
- 3 To linger (on); to remain fixated. intransitive
"Stop dwelling on the past!"
- 4 come back to wordnet
- 5 To be in a given state. intransitive
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 be an inhabitant of or reside in wordnet
- 7 To abide; to remain; to continue. intransitive
"My liefe (ſayd ſhe) ye know, that long ygo, / Whileſt ye in durance dwelt, ye to me gaue / A little mayde, the which ye chylded tho ; / The ſame againe if now ye liſt to haue, / The ſame is yonder Lady, whom high God did ſaue."
- 8 originate (in) wordnet
- 9 exist or be situated within wordnet
Example
"In a past-oriented society, people dwell on the past and on tradition."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dwell"?
Common synonyms include: brood, inhabit, live, abide, abided, abides.
How do you use "dwell" in a sentence?
In a past-oriented society, people dwell on the past and on tradition.
How do you pronounce "dwell"?
Pronounced /dwɛl/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰwel-der. Proto-Germanic *dwalaz Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Germanic *-janą Proto-Germanic *dwaljaną Proto-West Germanic *dwalljan Old English dwellan ▲ Old Norse dveljainflu. Middle English dwellen English dwell From Middle English dwellen (“delay, live, remain, persist”), from Old English dwellan (“to mislead, deceive; be led into error, stray”), from Proto-Germanic *dwaljaną (“to hold up, delay; hesitate”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰwelH- (“to whirl, swirl, blur, obfuscate”), which is cognate with Old Norse dvelja and related to Proto-Germanic *dwelaną (“to go astray”), which underwent semantic change in its descendants. Cognates include Danish dvæle (“to linger, dwell”) and Swedish dväljas (“to dwell, reside”).