Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense shrivels, present participle shrivelling, past tense, past participle shrivelledregional note: in AM, use shriveling, shriveled
verb
When something shrivels or when something shrivels it, it becomes dryer and smaller, often with lines in its surface, as a result of losing the water it contains.
The plant shrivels and dies. [VERB]
...dry weather that shrivelled this summer's crops. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: wither, dry (up), wilt, shrink More Synonyms of shrivel
Shrivel up means the same as shrivel.
The leaves started to shrivel up. [VERBPARTICLE]
shrivelledadjective
...a shriveled chestnut.
It looked old and shrivelled.
Synonyms: withered, dry, dried up, wrinkled More Synonyms of shrivel
shrivel in British English
(ˈʃrɪvəl)
verbWord forms: -els, -elling, -elledWord forms: US-els, -eling or -eled
1.
to make or become shrunken and withered
2.
to lose or cause to lose vitality
Word origin
C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish dialect skryvla wrinkle
shrivel in American English
(ˈʃrɪvəl)
verb transitive, verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈshriveled or ˈshrivelled, ˈshriveling or ˈshrivelling
1.
to shrink and make or become wrinkled or withered
2.
to make or become helpless, useless, or inefficient
Word origin
Early ModE, prob. < Scand, as in Swed dial. skryvla, to wrinkle
Examples of 'shrivel' in a sentence
shrivel
My insides curl and shrivel, I am dying, slowly, by inches.
Trenhalle, John A MEANS TO EVIL (2003)
They could only leave their pond for a few minutes before they began to shrivel up and die.
Wright, Eric A BODY SURROUNDED BY WATER (2003)
Like a tiny seed, the strength of his convictions slowly began to shrivel.
Sara MacDonald SEA MUSIC (2003)
They sat for a time before Emily said, again softly, "I'm not ready to shrivel and die.
Barbara Delinsky TOGETHER ALONE (2003)
In other languages
shrivel
British English: shrivel VERB
When something shrivels or when something shrivels it, it becomes dryer and smaller, often with lines in its surface, as a result of losing the water it contains.
The plant shrivels and dies.
American English: shrivel
Brazilian Portuguese: enrugar
Chinese: 枯萎
European Spanish: arrugar
French: se flétrir
German: schrumpfen
Italian: avvizzire
Japanese: しなびさせる/しなびる
Korean: 쪼글쪼글 오그라들다
European Portuguese: enrugar
Latin American Spanish: resecarse
Chinese translation of 'shrivel'
shrivel
(ˈʃrɪvl)
vi
(also shrivel up) 枯萎 (kūwěi)
vt
使干(乾)枯 (shǐ gānkū)
(verb)
Definition
to become dry and withered
The plant shrivels and dies.
Synonyms
wither
Farmers have watched their crops wither because of the drought.
dry (up)
wilt
The roses wilted the day after she bought them.
shrink
The vast forests have shrunk.
wrinkle
dwindle
The factory's workforce has dwindled.
dehydrate
The fruits are dehydrated to preserve them.
desiccate
wizen
Additional synonyms
in the sense of dehydrate
Definition
to remove water from (food) in order to preserve it
The fruits are dehydrated to preserve them.
Synonyms
dry,
evaporate,
parch,
desiccate,
exsiccate
in the sense of desiccate
Definition
to remove most of the water from
Synonyms
dry,
drain,
evaporate,
dehydrate,
parch,
exsiccate
in the sense of dwindle
Definition
to grow less in size, strength, or number
The factory's workforce has dwindled.
Synonyms
lessen,
fall,
decline,
contract,
sink,
fade,
weaken,
shrink,
diminish,
decrease,
decay,
wither,
wane,
subside,
ebb,
die down,
die out,
abate,
shrivel,
peter out,
die away,
waste away,
taper off,
grow less
Nearby words of
shrivel
shrink
shrink back
shrink from something or someone
shrivel
shrivelled
shroud
shrub
Synonyms of 'shrivel'
shrivel
Explore 'shrivel' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of shrink
Definition
to become or cause to become smaller, sometimes because of wetness, heat, or cold