Definition of dwell - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
lingerfocus on a thought or idea
- She tends to dwell on past mistakes.
2.
residelive in a place as a resident
- They dwell in a small village.
Noun
1.
technologyTECH. period a system stays in one stateTECH.
- The dwell of the system lasted five seconds.
2.
machine inactivityTECH. period of time a machine or part remains inactiveTECH.
- The dwell in the production line caused a delay in manufacturing..
3.
automotiveTECH. US time ignition points are closed in a petrol engineTECH. US
- The dwell angle was adjusted for better efficiency.
4.
mechanicsTECH. flat portion on a cam for static cam followerTECH.
- The cam's dwell kept the follower in place.
Images of dwell

flat portion on a cam for static cam follower
Expressions with dwell
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think, speak, or write about something for a long time
She tends to dwell on the negative aspects of every situation..
focus excessively on past mistakes
He dwells on the past instead of moving forward.
be unable to move on from past events
He dwells in the past, unable to forget his mistakes.
think about something for a long time
She tends to dwell upon past mistakes.
to focus on what could be rather than what is
He prefers to dwell in possibility rather than face reality.
focus on one subject for a long time when speaking or thinking
The speaker dwelled at length on the importance of daily practice.
time spent by people at a specific location
The average dwell time at the museum was around three hours..
period a cam follower stays in contact with cam lobe
The cam dwell affects the engine's performance.
angle during which ignition coil is charged in engines
The mechanic adjusted the dwell angle for better engine performance.
instrument measuring dwell angle in engines
The mechanic used a dwell meter to check the engine.
Origin of dwell
Old English, dwellan (to lead astray)
Terms with dwell included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
focus
not dwell on mistakes or conflicts during a performance
dwell on past
focus excessively on past events or memories
animal dwelling
dwell in a stable
spiritual force
supernatural force believed to dwell in a person or sacred object
residence
dwell or reside
shelter
rest or dwell in a place
automotive
instrument measuring dwell angle in engines
Examples of dwell in a sentence
Don't dwell on what could have been; focus on now. Many species dwell in the forest. Nomads dwell in temporary shelters. Engineers measured the dwell to optimize performance. The dwell was crucial for the machine's calibration process. The machine's dwell was longer than expected.
A dwell in the system caused a temporary halt. The mechanic checked the dwell during the engine tune-up. Adjusting the dwell can improve engine performance. The dwell on the cam was precisely engineered. Adjusting the dwell improved the machine's performance.
View all translations of dwell
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:s'attarder, temps de maintien, ...
- German:verweilen, Verweildauer, ...
- Italian:soffermarsi, tempo di permanenza, ...
- Spanish:obsesionarse, tiempo de permanencia, ...
- Portuguese:focar-se, tempo de permanência, ...
- Chinese:纠结, 停留, ...
- Japanese:こだわる, ドウェル, ...
- Arabic:اِنْهَمَكَ في التَّفْكير في, زَمَن المُكُوث, ...
- Hebrew:לְהִתְעַכֵּב עַל, זְמַן שֶׁהֱיָה, ...
- Russian:задумываться, задержка, ...
- Ukrainian:зупинятися, затримка, ...
- Hindi:किसी बात पर अटके रहना, ठहराव, ...
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