kvell
verb
intransitive verb
Did you know?
Kvell Has Yiddish Origins
Kvell comes from Yiddish kveln, meaning "to be delighted," which, in turn, comes from the Middle High German word quellen, meaning "to well, gush, or swell." Yiddish has been a wellspring of creativity for English, giving us such delightful words as meister ("one who is knowledgeable about something"), maven ("expert"), and shtick ("one's special activity"), just to name a few. The date for the appearance of kvell in the English language is tricky to pinpoint exactly. The earliest known printed evidence for the word in an English source is found in a 1952 handbook of Jewish words and expressions.
Synonyms
- crow
- delight
- exuberate
- exult
- glory
- joy
- jubilate
- rejoice
- triumph
Example Sentences
Alix Strauss, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2017 Word History
Yiddish kveln to be delighted, from Middle High German quellen to well, gush, swell
circa 1952, in the meaning defined above
kvelling
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- delighting
- bragging
- exulting
- joying
- glorying
- rejoicing
- gloating
- jubilating
- crowing
- triumphing
- exuberating
- preening
- flaunting
- boasting
- strutting
- swelling
- kicking up one's heels
- parading
- swaggering
- showing off
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- weeping
- lamenting
- grieving
- regretting
- bewailing
- bemoaning
- placations
- placative
- placatory
- placcate
- place
- place a high value on
- place a premium on
- place a wager
- place aux dames
- place bet
- place brick
- place card
- place heavy demands on
- place hitter
- place in the sun
- place isomerism
- place little credence in
- place mat
- place of abode
- place of business
- place of honor
- place of origin
- place of refuge
- place of worship
- place on a pedestal