gonfiore
/ɡonˈfjo.re/masculine
The English word swelling is gonfiore in Italian. Wiktionary also lists gnocco.
Meaning: anything swollen (noun)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| gonfiore | /ɡonˈfjo.re/ | masculine |
| gnocco | /ˈɲɔk.ko/ | masculine |
The term is used to describe anything that is swollen.
Which one should you use?
gonfiore is the standard medical or general term for swelling, whereas gnocco is a colloquial or dialectal term for a lump or swelling.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the second syllable. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡonˈfjo.re/.
Did you know?
- In Italian cooking, gnocco refers to a type of soft dumpling, showing how the word can shift from describing a physical lump to a tasty piece of food.
- Calling someone a gnocco in Italian slang does not refer to a physical swelling but instead means they are clumsy, slow or a bit of a fool.
- The noun gonfiore is derived from the verb gonfiare, which is used in Italian to describe both the physical process of swelling and the act of exaggerating a story.
Examples in context
- Non c'era alcun gonfiore.There was no swelling.The first sentence shows how to state the absence of gonfiore.Tatoeba #4724782 by Guybrush88, translation #4502471 by CK
- Ha un gonfiore sulla testa.He has a swelling on his head.The second sentence is useful for describing a swelling on a specific body part using gonfiore.Tatoeba #4726706 by Guybrush88, translation #2258377 by _undertoad
- Il ginocchio diventò di un orrendo colore viola nerastro dal gonfiore.His knee turned a ghastly blackish purple from the swelling.The third sentence illustrates how a body part might change color due to gonfiore.Tatoeba #4726709 by Guybrush88, translation #758043 by papabear
- Mio padre ha un gonfiore alla caviglia. Pensiamo che si sia slogato durante l'allenamento.My father has swelling in his ankle. We think he sprained it during training.
- Guarda Marco, sembra un po' gonfio. Cosa gli è successo?Look at Marco, he looks a bit swollen. What happened to him?
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo is showing Chiara his injured ankle.
- LorenzoGuarda che gonfiore ho alla caviglia!Look at the swelling I have on my ankle!
- ChiaraAccidenti, sembra molto dolorante.Gee, it looks very painful.
- LorenzoSpero che il gonfiore scenda presto.I hope the swelling goes down soon.
- ChiaraMetti subito del ghiaccio, Lorenzo.Put some ice on it right away, Lorenzo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “swelling” translations and entries gonfiore, gnocco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
