dwindle

verb

dwin·​dle ˈdwin-dᵊl How to pronounce dwindle (audio)
dwindled; dwindling ˈdwin-(d)liŋ How to pronounce dwindle (audio)
-dᵊl-iŋ

intransitive verb

: to become steadily less : shrink
Their savings dwindled to nothing.
a dwindling population

transitive verb

: to make steadily less
Choose the Right Synonym for dwindle

decrease, lessen, diminish, reduce, abate, dwindle mean to grow or make less.

decrease suggests a progressive decline in size, amount, numbers, or intensity.

slowly decreased the amount of pressure

lessen suggests a decline in amount rather than in number.

has been unable to lessen her debt

diminish emphasizes a perceptible loss and implies its subtraction from a total.

his visual acuity has diminished

reduce implies a bringing down or lowering.

you must reduce your caloric intake

abate implies a reducing of something excessive or oppressive in force or amount.

the storm abated

dwindle implies progressive lessening and is applied to things growing visibly smaller.

their provisions dwindled slowly

Examples of dwindle in a Sentence

Our energy dwindled as the meeting dragged on. The town's population is dwindling away.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And with 23andMe filing for bankruptcy earlier this year, her chances of finding any additional siblings may be dwindling. Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025 The hot start dwindled in the second half, and after completing 10 of his first 14 passes, Loftis missed 12 of his next 22 passes, tapering off as the game got out of hand. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2025 Rural Californians worried about their dwindling access to healthcare. Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025 Their dwindling population contributed to a labor shortage, which led the Spanish to turn their attention to another group. Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dwindle

Word History

Etymology

probably frequentative of dwine to waste away, from Middle English, from Old English dwīnan; akin to Old Norse dvīna to pine away, deyja to die — more at die

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of dwindle was in 1596

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dwindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dwindle. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

dwindle

verb
dwin·​dle ˈdwin-dᵊl How to pronounce dwindle (audio)
dwindled; dwindling ˈdwin-dliŋ How to pronounce dwindle (audio)
-dᵊliŋ
: to make or become less

More from Merriam-Webster on dwindle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!