dwindle
pronunciation
How to pronounce dwindle in British English:
UK [ˈdwɪndl]
How to pronounce dwindle in American English:
US [ˈdwɪndl]
-
- Verb:
- become smaller or lose substance
Word Origin
- dwindle (v.)
- 1590s, apparently diminutive and frequentative of Middle English dwinen "waste away, fade, vanish," from Old English dwinan, from Proto-Germanic *dwinan (cognates: Dutch dwijnen "to vanish," Old Norse dvina, Danish tvine, Low German dwinen), from PIE *dheu- (3) "to die" (see die (v.)). Related: Dwindled; dwindling.
Example
- 1. The best outcome would be for overproduction to dwindle gradually .
- 2. This hits britain hard as north sea reserves dwindle and the country imports an ever-greater share of its energy .
- 3. The supply could dwindle further .
- 4. Their clients began to dwindle .
- 5. There are many reasons why a man 's libido might dwindle .