Daily Word Challenge #17 · October 12, 2026
dwell
verbDWEL
What it means
To dwell is to live somewhere, a slightly formal or literary use. To dwell on something is to keep thinking or talking about it, often too much.
Dwell in a sentence
Try not to dwell on small mistakes.
Similar words: reside, linger, ponder
Where it comes from
From Old English dwellan, which first meant to delay or hinder. The sense of staying in one place, and then of living there, developed later.
Play puzzle #17 Today's challenge
Quick quiz
1. What does DWELL mean?
2. Which word is closest in meaning to DWELL?
3. Which word completes the sentence? "Try not to _____ on small mistakes."
Unscramble challenge
Rearrange these letters to make a five-letter word meaning "dull because it is so ordinary":
Show the answer
BANAL, from Daily Word Challenge #7.