shrivel

verb shriv·el \ ˈshri-vəl , especially Southern ˈsri- \

Updated on: 6 Apr 2018

Definition of shrivel

shriveled or shrivelled; shriveling or shrivelling play \ˈshri-vəl-iŋ, ˈsri-; ˈshriv-liŋ, ˈsriv-\

intransitive verb

1 : to draw into wrinkles especially with a loss of moisture

2 a : to become reduced to inanition, helplessness, or inefficiency

b : dwindle

transitive verb

: to cause to shrivel

See shrivel defined for English-language learners

See shrivel defined for kids

Examples of shrivel in a Sentence

plants shriveling in the heat

Recent Examples of shrivel from the Web

Now, all of the leaves have shriveled up and turned brown.

— dan gill, NOLA.com, "Even citrus trees that survived could still be suffering freeze damage," 31 Mar. 2018
Parkland historian Jeff Schwartz has watched the flower bouquets shrivel, the Stoneman Douglas posters become pulp, the loving, handwritten notes blister in the South Florida sun.

— phillip valys, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Parkland volunteers work quickly to preserve Stoneman Douglas makeshift memorials," 10 Mar. 2018
In the winter, crops may not shrivel on the branch or wither on the vine, but more moisture remains important.

— martin weil, Washington Post, "The price the D.C. area is paying for so little snow: Drought," 26 Jan. 2018
Nick Saban made it after the sophomore quarterback completed 38 percent of his eight attempts and threw for only 21 yards as the offense shriveled in a first half during which Alabama was held scoreless.

— rainer sabin, AL.com, "A night of irony unfolds for Alabama QB Jalen Hurts," 9 Jan. 2018
What was once a robust market for new products—the seeding of a fresh fund with contributed assets from market-making brokerage firms—has shriveled.

— ari i. weinberg, WSJ, "It’s Getting Harder to List Exotic ETFs," 4 Mar. 2018
While the industry has had college reps for decades -- Sony Music's program has been around for 50 years -- these units shriveled after record sales began to tank from their peak in 2000, and in some cases fell by the wayside completely.

— steve knopper, Billboard, "The New College Try: Why Labels Are Reviving Campus Reps in the Streaming Era," 2 Mar. 2018
Men and women had allowed their souls to shrivel up in sin.

— The Economist, "The hour of decisionBilly Graham died on February 21st," 1 Mar. 2018
That range shrivelled in the late 19th century and most of the 20th century, with habitat loss, degraded water quality and unregulated hunting and trapping blamed.

— shanon tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Otters making a welcome return to Texas waterways," 15 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shrivel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of shrivel

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1565

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SHRIVEL Defined for English Language Learners

shrivel

verb

Definition of shrivel for English Language Learners

: to become dry and wrinkled from heat, cold, or old age
: to cause (something) to become dry and wrinkled

SHRIVEL Defined for Kids

shrivel

verb shriv·el \ ˈshri-vəl \

Definition of shrivel for Students

shriveled or shrivelled; shriveling or shrivelling

: to shrink and become dry and wrinkled

Learn More about shrivel

See words that rhyme with shrivel Spanish Central: Translation of shrivel Nglish: Translation of shrivel for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of shrivel for Arabic speakers

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shrivel

Definition of shrivel

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SHRIVEL Defined for English Language Learners

shrivel

Definition of shrivel for English Language Learners

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shrivel

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