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
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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.
See Examples For:
But go back earlier, and the talk starts to dwindle.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
Many MAGA-centered merchandise retailers and their suppliers are seeing sales dwindle, according to interviews with wholesalers, sales representatives, business owners and employees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 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
Most stay for about eight months before departing ahead of Kashmir's harsh winter, when construction slows and agricultural activity dwindles.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
But a lack of seeds and other food for mice might mean that prey dwindles over time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 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
“Difference Between,” a 23-minute world premiere by Matthew Neenan, holds the stage intriguingly until losing momentum and feeling strung out as it presents an artful, communal gathering that dwindles to a somewhat puzzling conclusion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
Above me, I hear the old pipes shake into action with a thunk! and then the water running in my sink dwindles to a trickle.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
Over the past few sessions, trading volume has dwindled, while major indexes have mostly drifted sideways.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
All year, food supplies have dwindled as mines and drones made the road increasingly impassable, cutting contact between Oleshky and the outside world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 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
The core group, which had been housed in an office in the Nineteen-Foot Pressure Tunnel on the East Side, dwindled away.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Surging demand and dwindling supply have fuelled an illicit market for eligible recruits.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
The dwindling payouts have started to affect his lifestyle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
The owner of a Sri Lankan shipping repair company that dispatched a team to an Iranian ship just before the onset of the new restrictions found that provisions on the tanker were dwindling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
He is reluctant to resume major combat operations, the officials said, partly because the U.S. wants to reserve dwindling munitions for other contingencies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
In the dwindling sunset, they seemed like the arms and legs of terrible creatures slowly heaving themselves out of the sand.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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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.
