Dwindle
/ˈdwɪn.dəl/noun
To gradually become smaller, weaker, or less important.
Did you know?Dwindle developed as an intensified or frequentative form of the older verb dwine, suggesting a gradual, repeated wasting away rather than one sudden disappearance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*dwinaną
“To disappear, fade, or waste away; the reconstructed ancestor of later Germanic forms.”
Old English
Old English
dwinan
“To waste away, fade, or languish.”
Middle English
Middle English
dwinen
“To diminish, fade, or become weak.”
14th–15th Century
Middle English
dwindlen
“To become gradually smaller or weaker; a frequentative form related to dwinen.”
16th Century
English
dwindle
“To diminish progressively or waste away.”
Modern English
English
dwindle
“To become steadily less in size, strength, number, or importance.”