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

What are your thoughts on seeing things like the all-women Daisy Chain Fields Festival come to life and how that maybe could trickle down and have an impact? — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 10 Aug. 2026

To illustrate how easily insect habitats can be harmed, Garrison gave the example of water trickling down a hill into a wetland. — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026

Noun

But when the trickle of interest became a flood, and when the proposals swelled from small data centers to massive hyperscale complexes, concerned residents began speaking out. — Jason Bailey, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2026

Transits have since collapsed to a trickle with the oil artery effectively shut, pushing energy prices higher. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 7 Aug. 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