Word · Frequency #11193
dwindling
减少；缩小；使减少
dwindling is the present participle of dwindle.
to become gradually less or smaller, or to make something do this
- 1.
To decrease, shrink, diminish, reduce in size or intensity.
减少,缩小,降低强度。
- 2.
To fall away in quality; degenerate, sink.
质量下降,退化,沉沦。
- 3.
To lessen; to bring low.
使减少；压低。
- 4.
To break up or disperse.
分散,散开。
退化；堕落；变差；消散；瓦解；驱散；减少,缩小,降低强度。；质量下降,退化,沉沦。；使减少；压低。
In use
As the days passed, the food supplies dwindled rapidly.
The crowd began to dwindle after midnight.
The company's profits are dwindling due to fierce competition.
dwindle (away)
常与away连用表示逐渐消失。
The crowd dwindled away as it got dark.
天黑时人群渐渐散去。
dwindle to sth
The company's profits dwindled to almost nothing.
公司的利润缩减到几乎为零。
dwindle from sth to sth
The forest has dwindled from 5,000 acres to just 500.
Connections
Collocations
- dwindle away
- 逐渐减少；消失
- The crowd dwindled away as the evening went on.随着夜幕降临，人群逐渐散去。
- dwindle to nothing
- 减少到几乎没有；化为乌有
- Their savings had dwindled to nothing after years of unemployment.多年失业后，他们的积蓄已经所剩无几。
- dwindling resources
- 日益减少的资源
- The team had to work with dwindling resources.团队不得不在日益减少的资源下工作。
- dwindling number
- 不断减少的数量
- A dwindling number of people still remember the old traditions.还记得这些古老传统的人越来越少了。
- dwindle rapidly
- 迅速减少
- Support for the proposal dwindled rapidly after the scandal.丑闻之后，对该提案的支持迅速减少。
Idioms & figurative uses
Learner notes
Memory Tip
dwindle 拼写中有 wind（风），大风把沙堆逐渐吹散变小，就是 dwindle（减少）。
Context & Register
语域：neutral 常见场景：news reporting、formal writing dwindle 多用于书面语和较为正式的场合，表示数量或程度逐渐减少；日常口语中也会出现，但通常比 decrease 或 go down 更正式。强调渐进的过程，不带有强烈的感情色彩。
Grammar Note
可作及物或不及物动词
Pronunciation & Spelling
dwindle, swindle, spindle, brindle, and kindle all end with the same /ɪndl/ sound, so they rhyme with dwindle. However, be careful with lookalikes: idle also ends in -dle but is pronounced /ˈaɪdəl/ and does not rhyme, and window begins with win- but is pronounced /ˈwɪndoʊ/, not a rhyme.
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 1，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY, WORDNET.