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Glite Dictionary
to shrivel

to shrivel

54 4.4
To become smaller, dry, and wrinkled because it loses water
  • verb
  • /ˈʃrɪvəl/
translation icon : marchitarse
  • If you leave the fruit out too long, it will shrivel and lose its sweetness.
  • kernels shrivel

She says, he made my flesh rot and shrivel and rot again, but he won't let me die.

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Examples

  • And so leaves have the ability to shrivel as well as to plump and become turgid.

    MIgardener

  • Alex's body begins to decompose in front of us, skin sinking in and shriveling up.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Its leaves start to shrivel, the lawn turns brown, the sky turns dark.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The build up of charge draws water out of these cells and they shrivel, pulling the leaflet closed.

  • The spinal cancer he contracted in 1984 paralyzed his legs; they were now shriveled and useless.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Weeds grew raucous and leggy while my flowers shriveled beyond resuscitation.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The flowers began to shrivel in the heat, losing their vibrant colors and becoming dry.

  • After a few hours in the sun, the leaves started to shrivel and curl at the edges.

Synonyms

to shrink
vsto shrivel
95 1.8

Become smaller after washing or heating

focuses more on wrinkling, dryness, or loss of strength rather than size
to wither
vsto shrivel
91 4.4

To become dry and weak, as with plants or feelings

emphasizes physical drying and wrinkling rather than loss of life or freshness
to dry up
vsto shrivel
19 2.7

To lose all water or moisture so it has none left

means partial drying and wrinkling, not necessarily complete loss of moisture
to shrivel up
vsto shrivel
11 3.5

Become small, dry, and wrinkled because it loses water

has identical meaning but is the form with an added particle for emphasis

Antonyms

to plump
5 3.8

To make someone or something fuller and rounder

Phrasal Verbs

to shrivel up
11 3.5

Become small, dry, and wrinkled because it loses water

How Wrinkled

to desiccate
  • Specialized
12 9.0
to shrivel
54 4.4
to dry
570 1.0
to wither
91 4.4
to wilt
18 3.2

Surface Forms

shrivel infinitive
shriveled past
shriveled past participle
shriveling present participle
shrivels third person singular

Etymology

The word shrivel comes from older English words that mean 'to shrink' and 'to wrinkle'. A helpful way to remember it is to think of 'shrink': a shriveled grape shrinks and becomes wrinkled like a raisin, so shrivel means to become smaller, dry, and wrinkled.