trickle

[trik-uhl]

verb (used without object)

trickled, trickling 

1. to flow or fall by drops, or in a small, gentle stream.

   Tears trickled down her cheeks.

2. to come, go, or pass bit by bit, slowly, or irregularly.

   The guests trickled out of the room.

verb (used with object)

trickled, trickling 

1. to cause to trickle.

noun

1. a trickling flow or stream.

   Synonyms: drip, seepage, dribble

2. a small, slow, or irregular quantity of anything coming, going, or proceeding.

   a trickle of visitors throughout the day.

trickle

/ ˈtrɪkəl /

verb

1. to run or cause to run in thin or slow streams

   she trickled the sand through her fingers

2. (intr) to move, go, or pass gradually

   the crowd trickled away

noun

1. a thin, irregular, or slow flow of something

2. the act of trickling

Other Word Forms

• tricklingly adverb
• trickling adjective
• trickly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of trickle¹

1325–75; Middle English triklen, trekelen (v.), apparently sandhi variant of strikle, perhaps equivalent to strike (in obsolete sense “flow”) + -le

Word History and Origins

Origin of trickle¹

C14: perhaps of imitative origin

Example Sentences

Industry analysts expressed concerns that if companies started to go bankrupt, a trickle could soon become a flood – potentially causing permanent damage to the country's advanced engineering industry.

From BBC

Now, new completions have trickled to fewer than three a month, less than 20% of that peak period.

From Los Angeles Times

A few fans trickled out from behind the store, rejoicing that they’d seen her arrive.

From Los Angeles Times

"That was probably the last eight to 10 games of last season, big Champions League games, it was quite prominent and I felt it would probably trickle down the game."

From BBC

Blood trickled from Brink’s face onto the hardwood as Brink shouted at the referees after no foul was called.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• crawl 
• creep 
• dribble 
• flow 
• leak 
• ooze 
• percolate 
• seep 
• stream