swell

gonfler, enfler

Devenir plus gros ou plus volumineux, souvent à cause d’un liquide ou d’une pression à l’intérieur.

En anglais simple : To become bigger or fuller, often because of liquid or pressure inside.

• My ankle began to swell.
• The beans swelled after soaking overnight.
• Has your knee swollen again?

Comment l'utiliser : swell up (My hand began to swell up after the sting.)

Synonymes : expand, enlarge

Contraires : shrink

Expressions courantes : swell up, swell with water, swell in size

grossir, gonfler

Rendre quelque chose plus gros ou en augmenter la quantité ou le nombre.

En anglais simple : To make something bigger or increase its amount or number.

• Heavy rain can swell the river.
• New arrivals swelled the town’s population.
• Their donations have swollen our funds.

Synonymes : increase, enlarge, boost

Contraires : reduce, shrink

Expressions courantes : swell the ranks, swell the numbers, swell a river

s’amplifier, s’intensifier

Devenir progressivement plus fort ou plus intense, notamment pour un son.

En anglais simple : To gradually become louder or stronger.

• The music began to swell.
• Applause swelled as the singer returned.
• Their voices swelled until everyone could hear them.

Comment l'utiliser : swell into something (The quiet voices swelled into a powerful chorus.)

Synonymes : build, intensify

Contraires : fade, diminish

Expressions courantes : music swell, swell in volume, swell into something

houle

Une suite de longues vagues en mer, qui continuent souvent après l’arrêt du vent.

En anglais simple : A series of long, rolling waves on the sea, often continuing after the wind stops.

• The boat rose on the swell.
• A heavy swell made the crossing uncomfortable.
• Long swells rolled towards the coast.

Expressions courantes : heavy swell, ocean swell, gentle swell