Dwell

Meaning

Dwell means to live or stay in a particular place. It can also mean to spend a lot of time thinking or talking about something, especially something unpleasant or difficult.

Pronunciation

/dwel/

Word Forms

• Base form: dwell
• Past tense: dwelt / dwelled
• Past participle: dwelt / dwelled
• Present participle: dwelling
• Noun: dwelling

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

• dwell in a place — to live or reside in a particular place.
• dwell on something — to spend too much time thinking or talking about something.
• dwell upon something — to focus one's attention on something, especially at length.
• dwell in the past — to remain emotionally or mentally focused on past events.
• dwell on mistakes — to continue thinking about past mistakes rather than moving forward.
• dwell on the details — to focus extensively on particular details.

Example Sentences

• She has learned not to dwell on mistakes she made years ago.
• The family dwelt in a small village surrounded by mountains.
• There is no point in dwelling on what you cannot change.
• He tends to dwell on negative experiences instead of focusing on the present.
• The poem describes a quiet place where the speaker wishes to dwell.

Literary Example

Example:

“I dwell in Possibility.”

— Emily Dickinson, I dwell in Possibility

Here, dwell means to live or exist within something. Dickinson uses the word metaphorically, presenting “Possibility” as a place in which the speaker lives. The poem was written around 1862 and was published posthumously. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Story Workshop

This word has not yet appeared in a Story Workshop story. When it does, this section will link directly to the story and highlight the paragraph where the word appears, allowing you to see it used naturally in context.

Coming Soon...

Related Words

Continue exploring words that begin with the letter D.

Navigate the Archive