dwindle

/ˈdwɪndl/

/ˈdwɪndəl/

Other forms: dwindled; dwindles

What do love, money, and the earth all have in common? All can dwindle, or shrink away, if we don't handle them properly.

The word dwindle has a wonderfully descriptive, almost childlike sound to it, as though it belongs in a nursery rhyme. That might help you remember the meaning, which is to shrink away gradually, like the Cheshire Cat in "Alice in Wonderland," who dwindles away until nothing is left but his grin.

Definitions of dwindle

1. verb

   become smaller or lose substance
   “Her savings dwindled down”

   synonyms: dwindle away, dwindle down

   type of:

   decrease, diminish, fall, lessen

   decrease in size, extent, or range