Translation guide
The English word "swell" has several distinct meanings. This guide covers the most common uses for learners: physical expansion, increase in amount or intensity, emotional feelings, and the noun meaning a wave or rise. It also notes the dated slang adjective meaning "excellent."
To describe something increasing in size, often due to internal pressure, injury, or absorption.
My ankle is swollen.
I got bitten by a bug and my arm swelled up.
General term for expanding or puffing up, like a balloon, bread dough, or a sail. Intransitive.
The bread dough swelled up.
The sail swells in the wind.
Similar to 膨らむ but often implies a more noticeable or bulging swelling, sometimes with a negative nuance like puffiness or sulking. Intransitive.
The tree buds are swelling.
She puffed out her cheeks (in a sulk).
Kanji variant of 膨れる, often used specifically for swelling of the stomach or internal organs. Rare in everyday writing.
My stomach swelled from overeating.
To describe something growing larger in quantity, volume, or strength, like a crowd, sound, or river.
General verb for increasing in number or quantity. Intransitive.
The crowd swelled gradually.
Emphasizes a dramatic or excessive swelling in size, amount, or scale. Often used for budgets, numbers, or physical objects.
Used for intensity of sound, emotion, or abstract things rising. Intransitive.
To describe an emotion rising or filling one's heart/chest.
Idiomatic phrase meaning one's heart is full (with emotion), often positive like pride or gratitude.
My heart swelled with pride watching my son grow.
Verb for emotion welling up from inside, often tears or laughter. Intransitive.
Can be used metaphorically for feelings like hope or expectation expanding.
To refer to a long, unbroken wave or the rising and falling motion of the sea.
To express that something is great, cool, or fashionable, in an old-fashioned way.
There is no direct Japanese equivalent for the 1920s-50s slang "swell." Instead, use modern casual terms like すごい, かっこいい, or 素敵 depending on context.
That's really swell!
It was a swell party.
Na-adjective meaning lovely, nice, or charming. Closest in tone to the old-fashioned positive sense, though not slangy.
腫れる is only for body parts (injury, illness). For objects like wood or bread swelling, use 膨らむ or 膨れる.
The door swelled from humidity.
膨らむ is more neutral and often positive (balloon, sail, hope). 膨れる can imply an abnormal or excessive bulge, or a sulky expression (頬を膨れさせる).
The river swelled after the heavy rain.
増水する (ぞうすいする) is a natural verb for rivers rising.
Her ankle swelled up after the fall.
The crowd swelled to over a thousand.
The budget swelled enormously.
The river swelled with rain.
歓声が高まった。
The cheers swelled.
Anger swelled up inside me.
期待に胸が膨らむ。
My heart swells with anticipation.
A high swell advisory has been issued.
素敵な帽子だね。
That's a swell hat.