Synonyms for quell
- annihilate
- conquer
- crush
- extinguish
- overcome
- put down
- quench
- silence
- stamp out
- stifle
- subdue
- kill
- overpower
- queer
- stop
- subjugate
- vanquish
- hush up
- put the lid on
- shut down
- sit on
Antonyms for quell
- build up
- compliment
- encourage
- help
- lose
- praise
- release
- start
- surrender
- yield
- begin
- aggravate
- agitate
- disturb
- irritate
- perturb
- succeed
- win
EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR QUELL
Grendel now, monster cruel, be mine to quell in single battle!
Not that you can replace Hilary, but you need solitude to quell your pride.
He should be able to quell a mutiny, check a mob or stamp out a rebellion.
There was only one way to quell this mutiny, and that was to soothe it away.
To quell this feeling, a reorganization of the army was effected.
He could quell the storm if He would, and when He would; and to Him they cried and not in vain.
Nothing we can do till the cops get here to quell this bunch.
But though for the moment he quelled her eye, nothing could quell her voice.
My words and manner had been too much for her, anxious as she was to quell the storm.
A courage to quell the proudest, an honest pity to encourage the humblest.
WORD ORIGIN
Old English cwellan "to kill, murder, execute," from Proto-Germanic *kwaljanan (cf. Old English cwelan "to die," cwalu "violent death;" Old Saxon quellian "to torture, kill;" Old Norse kvelja "to torment;" Middle Dutch quelen "to vex, tease, torment;" Old High German quellan "to suffer pain," German quälen "to torment, torture"), from PIE *gwele- "to throw, reach," with extended sense of "to pierce" (cf. Armenian kelem "I torture;" Old Church Slavonic zali "pain;" Lithuanian galas "end," gela "agony," gelati "to sting"). Milder sense of "suppress, extinguish" developed by c.1300. Related: Quelled; quelling.