quell

UK: /ˈkwɛl/ US: /kwɛl/ ,(kwel)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

quell /kwɛl/   v. [~ + object]

1. to put down;
   suppress;
   subdue;
   crush:
   The army quelled the uprising.
2. to quiet;
   free from:
   to quell a child's fear of thunder.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

quell  (kwel), v.t. 

1. to suppress;
   put an end to;
   extinguish:
   The troops quelled the rebellion quickly.
2. to vanquish;
   subdue.
3. to quiet or allay (emotions, anxieties, etc.):
   The child's mother quelled his fears of the thunder.

• bef. 900; Middle English quellen, Old English cwellan to kill; akin to Old Norse kvelja to torment, German quälen to vex; compare kill¹

quell′a•ble, adj. 
quell′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1, 2. crush, quash, overpower, overcome, defeat, conquer, quench.
• 3. calm, pacify, compose, hush.

Antonyms

• 1, 2. foster.
• 3. agitate.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

quell / kwɛl/ verb (transitive)

1. to suppress or beat down (rebellion, disorder, etc); subdue
2. to overcome or allay

Etymology: Old English cwellan to kill; related to Old Saxon quellian, Old High German quellen, Old Norse kvelja to torment

ˈqueller noun