trickle

1 of 2

verb

trick·​le ˈtri-kəl 

trickled; trickling ˈtri-k(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

a

: to issue or fall in drops

b

: to flow in a thin gentle stream

2

a

: to move or go one by one or little by little

customers began to trickle in

b

: to dissipate slowly

his enthusiasm trickled away

trickle

2 of 2

noun

: a thin, slow, or intermittent stream or movement

Synonyms of trickle

Verb

• drip
• flow

Examples of trickle in a Sentence

Verb

Tears trickled down her cheeks.

Water was trickling out of the gutter.

People trickled into the theater.

Donations have been trickling in.

Noun

We heard the trickle of water from the roof.

The flow of water slowed to a trickle.

Sales have slowed to a trickle in recent weeks.

A slow trickle of customers came into the store throughout the day.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Fora has responded to this by recognizing its advisors into production categories, from Fora Centrum and Fora X advisors ranking at the top, trickling up from Certified, Pro, and Advanced as advisors grow within the agency, respectively. — Jacques Ledbetter, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

The Iran war has resulted in a significant spike in fuel prices – roughly 27% over the year – which trickles down through the economy. — Elizabeth Canales, The Conversation, 16 July 2026

Noun

Less than an hour later, though, the flow dwindled to a trickle. — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

As with most malls in the United States, its final years were marked by just a tiny trickle of shoppers who had to pass empty storefronts to reach the few remaining open businesses. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English trikelen, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1580, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing trickle

• trickle-down
• trickle-down theory

Rhymes for trickle

• druidical
• fickle
• mickle
• nickel
• nickle
• nicol
• pickle
• prickle
• sickle
• tickle
• microscopical
• ventricle

Kids Definition

trickle

verb

trick·​le

ˈtrik-əl

trickled; trickling

-(ə-)liŋ

1

a

: to flow or fall in drops

water trickling from a leaky faucet

b

: to flow in a thin slow stream

syrup trickling from the bottle

2

a

: to move or go one by one or little by little

customers trickled in

b

: to slowly grow less

his excitement trickled away

trickle noun