billow
To swell and roll like waves, especially smoke or cloth.
billow in a sentence
- Smoke began to billow from the chimney, curling into the frosty morning air.
- The ship's white sails began to billow as the wind swelled them like giant pillows.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to billow?
- Aswell
- Bsag
- Cflatten
- Dshrink
Show the answer
A: swell. The other three mean the opposite of billow.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to billow?
- Ashrink
- Bpuff
- Cswell
- Dballoon
Show the answer
A: shrink. The other three mean nearly the same as billow.
Words that mean something similar
swell, puff, balloon
Words that mean the opposite
shrink, flatten, sag
More words about movement & action
- bolster: To support something and make it stronger.
- brandish: To wave something around in an excited or threatening way.
- brisk: Quick and full of energy.
- buoyant: Able to float, or feeling light and cheerful.
- capsize: To tip over in the water.
- careering: Rushing forward very fast and out of control.
- cascade: To pour or tumble downwards like a waterfall; or a tumbling fall of something.
- clamber: To climb using your hands and feet in an awkward way.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test