dwindle

IPA/ˈdwɪndl/
KK[dwˈɪndəl]IPA/ˈdwɪndl/

dwindle — verb

  • dwindlepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • dwindleshe / she / it
  • dwindledpast simple
  • dwindling-ing form

1. when something dwindles, it becomes less and less over time, so that only a smal

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

when something dwindles, it becomes less and less over time, so that only a small part remains at the end

Example

The crowd outside the stadium dwindled as the rain grew heavier.

intransitive: subject (crowd) + dwindled

Yumi's savings dwindled quickly after she lost her job at the factory.

collocation: savings dwindle

Common collocations
  • hopes dwindle
  • savings dwindle
  • supplies dwindle
  • numbers dwindle
  • crowd dwindles
  • dwindle to nothing
  • dwindle away
  • dwindle quickly / steadily / gradually
Synonyms
  • decrease

    general and neutral; dwindle adds the idea of gradualness and approaching emptiness

  • shrink

    often about physical size; dwindle can also apply to abstract things like hopes or support

  • diminish

    more formal; dwindle sounds more natural in everyday speech

  • wane

    usually about strength, power, or popularity; dwindle is broader

Antonyms
  • increase

    general opposite

  • grow

    suggests becoming larger, the reverse of dwindling

  • expand

    emphasises spreading out in size or scope

Grammar Patterns

dwindle (away/down) — no object

Usage Note

Frequently used with an adverbial showing speed (e.g. "dwindled quickly", "dwindled steadily") or a final point ("dwindle to nothing", "dwindle to a handful"). Only the intransitive sense is standard — the verb cannot take a direct object.

Common Mistakes

The drought dwindled the water supply.
The water supply dwindled during the drought.
dwindle is intransitive; you cannot use it with a direct object.
The number of students has been dwindled.
The number of students has dwindled.
dwindle is never used in the passive voice.
Phrasal verbs

dwindle away

phrasal verb

to gradually disappear completely by becoming smaller or fewer over time

The sound of the train dwindled away until the night was silent again.

Adisa's interest in the video game dwindled away after he completed all the levels.

dwindle down

phrasal verb

to become smaller or fewer over time, often used with numbers or amounts that reduce to a lower level

The original group of twenty hikers dwindled down to just seven by the third day.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe a process of becoming smaller or less, but dwindle stands out for its sense of gradual, ongoing reduction toward near-total absence or emptiness. Decrease is the broadest and most neutral term — you can use it for almost anything (prices decrease, temperatures decrease, crime decreases). Shrink most often refers to physical size (a sweater shrinks in the wash) but also works for abstract things like profits or time. Diminish is more formal and often carries a suggestion that importance or value is being reduced (her role diminished after the reorganisation). Wane specifically describes the fading of strength, power, excitement, or popularity (public interest waned). Dwindle implies that the remaining amount is getting worryingly small — you would not use it for a routine fluctuation. For example: 'The company's customer base dwindled from ten thousand to fewer than two hundred.' vs 'The temperature decreased by three degrees.' — the former implies a critical loss; the latter is a neutral fact.

decrease ↗shrink ↗diminish ↗wane ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • dwindle to nothing
  • dwindle to a trickle
  • dwindle in number
  • dwindle in size

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Dwindle comes from an old English word 'dwīnan,' which meant 'to waste away or disappear.' Over time, English speakers added a frequentative suffix (-le) that gives the verb its sense of happening gradually or repeatedly — like 'drizzle' from 'drize' or 'sparkle' from 'spark.' So the word itself carries the idea of something slowly fading away step by step.