dwindle
Americanverb (used without object)
-
dwindles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dwindled,
past participle, past
-
dwindling
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
dwindles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dwindled,
past participle, past
-
dwindling
present participle
verb
Synonym Usage
See decrease.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
dwindlesimple
-
dwindlessimple
-
have dwindledperfect
-
has dwindledperfect
-
am dwindlingprogressive
-
are dwindlingprogressive
-
is dwindlingprogressive
-
have been dwindlingperfect progressive
-
has been dwindlingperfect progressive
Past
-
dwindledsimple
-
had dwindledperfect
-
was dwindlingprogressive
-
were dwindlingprogressive
-
had been dwindlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dwindle
1590–1600; dwine (now dial.) to waste away ( Middle English; Old English dwīnan; cognate with Middle Dutch dwīnen to languish, Old Norse dvīna to pine away) + -le
Explanation
What do love, money, and the earth all have in common? All can dwindle, or shrink away, if we don't handle them properly. The word dwindle has a wonderfully descriptive, almost childlike sound to it, as though it belongs in a nursery rhyme. That might help you remember the meaning, which is to shrink away gradually, like the Cheshire Cat in "Alice in Wonderland," who dwindles away until nothing is left but his grin.
Vocabulary lists containing dwindle
List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Flag" Day Words
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Part of what is driving the gold rush: Some traders are wary their edge in markets might dwindle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
But go back earlier, and the talk starts to dwindle.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
But this year the Rockies had the least snow on record, and they’ve watched springs dry up and creeks dwindle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Ranchers, meanwhile, are seeing their hay supplies dwindle.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
In time the flames began to dwindle, and then they were gone.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Markets are focused on the rupee as it dwindles toward the psychological breakwater of 100 to the dollar.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
As time dwindles, the Internal Revenue Service has received over 1 million fewer income-tax returns compared to the same point a year ago.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 9, 2026
In public health terms, elimination means that a disease has become rare enough, and immunity to it widespread enough, that local transmission dwindles quickly if a case or two emerges.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026
“We know that February on, our export pace for soybeans dwindles to zero,” Roose said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
By evening the voice dwindles to a croaking.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
In the past, investing in stocks carried a lot of risks that have dwindled or disappeared:
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Over the past few sessions, trading volume has dwindled, while major indexes have mostly drifted sideways.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
With coaches still tinkering with lineups in the preseason, turnovers became a problem when the ballhandling options dwindled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
With far less snowmelt than usual feeding the Colorado River, inflows dwindled, and the second-largest reservoir in the United States fell to record-low levels in late August and early September.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026
Farther up, the Bronx and Queens dwindled into the northern suburbs.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
In McDonnell, his supporters say, the mayor has an honest and principled leader who has managed to steady a department beset by low morale, dwindling staffing levels and aging facilities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Their frequency correlates with increasing volumes of oil moving via the strait and dwindling Iranian control, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Surging demand and dwindling supply have fuelled an illicit market for eligible recruits.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Carmakers also are late to roll out 2027 model-year vehicles—a result of dwindling redesigns, an industrywide push toward later rollouts and, in some cases, inventory gluts caused by slow-selling vehicles, analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
To his dwindling number of confreres, McCandless appeared to grow more intense with each passing month.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
