swelled
Puffed up gradually
Swelled is the past tense of swell—to expand, increase, or bulge outward.
Water swells wood.
A river swells after rain.
Ranks swell with new recruits.
Pride swells the chest.
His ankle swelled after the fall.
The crowd swelled to thousands.
As a past participle, swelled competes with swollen, which is more common for physical conditions: a swollen ankle rather than a swelled ankle.
Swelled from excess
- distendedSwollen from pressure within
- bulgingSwelling outward visibly
- puffedFilled with air
- engorgedSwollen from excess filling
expanded · inflated · tumescent · dilated · ballooned · stretched · grown · increased
Increased suddenly and forcefully
- roseStood up, or fragrant bloom
- grewIncreased gradually
- mountedFixed in position
- escalatedIncreased in severity
intensified · heightened · mushroomed · snowballed · ballooned · climbed · soared · multiplied
Soft or sore
- sorePainful or annoyed
- inflamedProvoked or medically irritated
- irritatedSlightly angered or bothered
- rawIn original state
throbbing · aching · sensitive · puffy · bruised · red · hot · stinging
Excessively self-important
- boastfulGiven to self-praise
- triumphantJoyfully victorious
- arrogantExcessively high self-regard
- conceitedExcessively proud of oneself
vainglorious · self-important · smug · pompous · haughty · swaggering · preening · gloating
bloated
Swelled from excess
engorged · expanded · inflated · tumescent · dilated · ballooned · stretched · grown · increased · risen
surged
Increased suddenly and forcefully
escalated · intensified · heightened · mushroomed · snowballed · ballooned · climbed · soared · multiplied · accumulated
tender
Soft or sore
raw · throbbing · aching · sensitive · puffy · bruised · red · hot · stinging · aggravated
puffed-up
Excessively self-important
- boastfulGiven to self-praise
- triumphantJoyfully victorious
- arrogantExcessively high self-regard
conceited · vainglorious · self-important · smug · pompous · haughty · swaggering · preening · gloating · elated
swelledshrank
Became smaller, past tense
contracted · deflated · shrunk · diminished · compressed
- swell upIncrease in size abnormally
- ground swellRising tide of opinion
- swelled up
- swelled headExcessive self-importance
- ocean swellsLong open-sea waves
- brain swellingFluid accumulation in cranium