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📉 A slow decrease 📉 Becoming less
dwindling

dwindling

1 4.7
Becoming smaller or fewer over time
  • adjective
  • /ˈdwɪndlɪŋ/
translation icon : en disminución
  • Her interest in the project is dwindling as she feels overwhelmed with other responsibilities.
  • rapidly dwindling
  • small and dwindling

Some, I mean, and, and some still listen to the CB, which, you know, it's a, it's a ever dwindling group.

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Examples

  • Today, the Parsis were only a tiny, dwindling community in India, self-exiled from Islamic Iran since before the second millennium began, but they had escaped conversion and kept the sacred fires burning.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • But at a certain point, sales were dwindling, and now I'm paying as much to run socials as I am to keep it up.

  • The population of the town has been dwindling for years due to young people moving away.

  • They noticed that their dwindling supplies would not last through the winter.

Synonyms

to fade
vsdwindling
531 1.2

To slowly become less visible, bright, or loud

is about steady numerical or size reduction rather than loss of visibility
to decline
vsdwindling
344 3.7

To become less over time, for example in value or health

often adds notions of worsening rather than only steady size reduction
to diminish
vsdwindling
201 3.7

To become less in size, importance, or value

emphasizes gradual steady reduction rather than deliberate causing
to shrink
vsdwindling
181 2.8

Become less in amount or value

focuses on size reduction and does not require gradual steady change
to dwindle
vsdwindling
72 5.1

To become smaller or less in number over time

is the same meaning but used to show a steady continuing state
to fade away
vsdwindling
69 3.0

To become weaker and then disappear over time

does not always mean disappearing and stresses steady decrease instead
to fall off
vsdwindling
49 2.6

Become less in number, amount, or quality

typically implies steady reduction over time rather than sudden change
to die down
vsdwindling
46 2.7

To become less strong or loud over time

focuses on general steady size or number reduction rather than intensity
to die off
vsdwindling
21 5.8

Plants or animals gradually become fewer until none remain

is more general and applies beyond living groups rather than only extinctions
to drop off
vsdwindling
21 3.5

To become less in number or amount

often stresses steady gradual decline rather than a simple decrease
to fall away
vsdwindling
19 4.3

To become less in amount or quality

puts emphasis on gradual ongoing shrinking rather than one off falls
to taper
vsdwindling
18 4.2

To become gradually less in size or amount

focuses on steady overall reduction rather than narrowing toward an end
to peter out
vsdwindling
9 5.6

To slowly become weaker and then stop

stresses steady ongoing reduction rather than ending or disappearing
to taper off
vsdwindling
9 4.5

To become smaller or weaker over time until it stops

does not always imply stopping and instead stresses steady diminishing
to thin out
vsdwindling
4 3.5

Become fewer and more spread out

focuses on spreading or sparsity rather than general steady decrease
to drop away
vsdwindling
2 3.3

To become less over time

focuses on gradual lowering over time rather than other change types
to dwindle away
vsdwindling
1 4.6

Slowly get smaller in number or amount until nothing remains

does not always imply disappearance and instead stresses steady reduction
to dwindle down
vsdwindling
1 5.1

To become slowly smaller or less until almost nothing remains

is less about ending and more about steady decrease
tapering off
vsdwindling
1 5.5

Becoming smaller or less over time until almost gone

is about steady reduction without necessarily reaching almost nothing
diminishing
vsdwindling
4.6

Becoming less in size, number, amount or importance

is the same idea but highlights steady ongoing change
decreasing
vsdwindling
2.3

Becoming less in number, size, or strength

specifies steady gradual decline rather than sudden drops
tapering
vsdwindling
4.7

Becoming gradually narrower toward one end

focuses on narrowing toward an end rather than general steady shrinkage

Antonyms

growing
1 1.7

A living thing getting bigger over time

increasing
1.0

Becoming greater in amount or number

How Much

vanishing
7 6.0
dwindling
1 4.7
shrinking
7 3.2
falling
1.8

Surface Forms

dwindling positive

Morphology

dwindling = dwindle (transparent) = dwindle + ing

The adjectival sense is formed by the present participle '-ing' on the verb 'dwindle', giving a predictable 'becoming smaller' meaning.

Etymology

The word dwindling comes from an old English word dwine, which meant 'to waste away' or 'become less'. That's why when something is dwindling it is slowly growing smaller, fewer, or weaker over time.