dwindle
Americanverb
Related Words
See decrease.
Other Word Forms
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
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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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.
How much materials for drone production Iran has stockpiled is unclear—but they will inevitably dwindle as the conflict drags on.
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
One vision is bleak: The new crop will dwindle rapidly, leading to a depleted grove and possible extinction due to drought, a warming climate and the fire-enhancing effects of a century of fire suppression.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
Morgan analysts said that supply disruptions in the Gulf “are accelerating faster than expected” as storage options dwindle and force production shut-ins as early as next week.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 7, 2026
Worried about waiting to escape as food and air-defense munitions dwindle, he is weighing paying a hefty price for a seven-hour taxi ride through Saudi Arabia’s deserts—and oil fields, which could be targets—to Riyadh.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
The tree itself was shrinking, growing smaller with each vision, whilst the lesser trees dwindled into saplings and vanished, only to be replaced by other trees that would dwindle and vanish in their turn.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions 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.
