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kvell

/kvɛl/
IPA guide

Other forms: kvelling; kvelled; kvells

To kvell is to burst with pride, especially on behalf of someone else. If you win the school spelling bee, your parents will kvell, telling all their friends about your success.

Kvell is just one of hundreds of Yiddish words that are commonly used in English. It derives from a Germanic root meaning "swell or well up." If you've ever had a grandma, favorite teacher, or best friend be so incredibly proud of you that they seem to overflow with delight, you know what it means to kvell.

Definitions of kvell
  1. verb
    be very proud and happy about
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