Dictionary

dwindle en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈdwɪn.dəl/ (UK, US)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Frequentative form of dwine, from Middle English dwynen, from Old English dwīnan (“to waste away”), from Proto-West Germanic *dwīnan, from Proto-Germanic *dwīnaną. It is equivalent to dwine + -le, akin to Old Norse dvena, dvína, Dutch verdwijnen (“to disappear, dwindle”).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To decrease, shrink, diminish, reduce in size or intensity.
   • In 1986, with the cod catch dwindling, Canada closed its ports to European fishing boats. 2001, Bob Ritter, “Chapter 4: Sustaining Aquatic Ecosystems”, in Science 10, Nelson Thomson Learning, page 152:
   • dwindle away
   • dwindle steadily
   • Their supplies began to dwindle after a week.
   • 1802, T. Paynell (translator), Erasmus, The Complaint of Peace [E]very thing that was improving gradually degenerates and dwindles away to nothing, […]
   • dwindle to nothing
   • Interest in the project slowly dwindled.
2. (figuratively, intransitive) To fall away in quality; degenerate, sink.
   • The flattery of his friends began to dwindle into simple approbation. 1766, [Oliver Goldsmith], chapter III, in The Vicar of Wakefield: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Salisbury, Wiltshire: […] B. Collins, for F[rancis] Newbery, […], →OCLC:
   • The larger the empire, the more dwindles the mind of the citizen. 1919, Boris Sidis, The Source and Aim of Human Progress:
   • VVearie Seu'nights, nine times nine, / Shall he dvvindle, peake, and pine: […] c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 132, column 1:
   • [I]nfected tulips are weakened by the viruses that cause the very patterns and swirls that fascinated horticulturists and investors in the first place. Such bulbs tend to dwindle away instead of fattening up and producing offsets. 2014 September 26, Charles Quest-Ritson, “The Dutch garden where tulip bulbs live forever: Hortus Bulborum, a volunteer-run Dutch garden, is dedicated to conserving historic varieties before they vanish for good [print version: Inspired by a living bulb archive, 27 September 2014, p. G5]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Gardening):
   • Religious Societies, though begun with excellent Intention, and by Perſons of true Piety, have dwindled into factious Clubs; […] 1709, [Jonathan Swift], A Project for the Advancement of Religion, and the Reformation of Manners. […], London: […] Benj[amin] Tooke, […], →OCLC, page 44:
3. (transitive) To lessen; to bring low.
   • Our drooping days are dwindled down to nought. a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC:
4. To break up or disperse.
   • there were only five hundred foot and three hundred horse left with him, for the blocking of Plymouth; the rest were dwindled away 1702–1704, Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, (please specify |book=I to XVI), in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed at the [Sheldonian] Theater:

Forms

Deriveds

dwindling · fall dwindle disease · dwindles · dwindlement

Synonyms

wanse · spin down · trail off · wane · peter out · fade away

Translations (79)

is dvína ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ru уме́ньшиться ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · gd crìon ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · mk се све́де ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · es agotarse ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · es menguar ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ka ილევა ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · hu gyengül ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · hu megcsappan ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ca disminuir ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · enm dwynen ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · vi tiêu giảm ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · fr se tarir ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · de schwinden ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · cs ubývat ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ru сократи́ться ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · fr se dessécher ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · fr diminuer ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · gl minguar ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · gl decrecer ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ca minvar ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · uk зменшуватися ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · vi suy yếu ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · sv minska ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · de abnehmen ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · gl diminuír ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · cs zmenšovat se ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · sv förtvina ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · fr fondre ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ca afeblir-se ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · nv áádįįł ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · gl reducir ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · mk се сма́ли ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · es disminuir ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · es desaparecer ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · sh svȉsnuti ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ja 減少する ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · hu elenyészik ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · mi tāharahara ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ka შემცირდება ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · pt diminuir ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ka დაიკლებს ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ru уменьша́ться ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · fr disparaître ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · hu kisebbedik ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · io diminutar ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · pl umniejszać ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ka გამოილევა ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · es quedar reducido ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · fr s'amenuiser ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · fi haipua ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · bg смалявам се ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · bg свивам се ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · hu fogy ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · es decrecer ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · sh сви̏снути ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · hu sorvad ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · nl smelten ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · hu csökken ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · es reducirse ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · fi huveta ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · it restringersi ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · sv krympa ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ka იკლებს ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · uk скорочуватися ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · cmn 縮小 /缩小 ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · uk убувати ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · fr s'évanouir ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · hu apad ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · hu kevesbedik ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · pt decrescer ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · cmn 減少 /减少 ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ka მცირდება ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · ru сокраща́ться ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · nl krimpen ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · nl verdwijnen ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · fi vähetä ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · it diminuire ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish) · fr décroître ((intransitive) to decrease, shrink, vanish)