(pronounced kwehl)

Similar to another fun “Q” word, quash (pronounced kwash), this term means to suppress, quiet, pacify, overwhelm, and reduce to submission. It can be forceful (as with physical aggression) or more genteel (as with argument, debate, and persuasion).

Example: The client went ballistic when he found out that his contractor ordered the wrong material, but we quelled his fears, explaining how we found a local source that was just as good.