shrivel

verb

shriv·​el ˈshri-vəl 

 especially Southern  ˈsri-

shriveled or shrivelled; shriveling or shrivelling ˈshri-vəl-iŋ 

ˈsri-;

ˈshriv-liŋ,

ˈsriv-

intransitive verb

1

: to draw into wrinkles especially with a loss of moisture

2

a

: to become reduced to inanition, helplessness, or inefficiency

b

: dwindle

transitive verb

: to cause to shrivel

Examples of shrivel in a Sentence

plants shriveling in the heat

Recent Examples on the Web

On the lower end of skills and pay, apparel employment shriveled as Southern California garment makers focused on fashion and small quantities, eliminating tens of thousands of manual labor jobs. —Don Lee, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024

This fact is particularly true if the item in question is shriveled, moldy, or smelly. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2024

Yes, if there’s a cold snap, these lovely symbols of wintertime will politely shrivel up as if waiting for a draft to pass. —Aj Willingham, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024

Her makeup had lots of wrinkles, and her body was shriveled up in her post. —Stephanie Giang-Paunon, Fox News, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

shrivel

verb

shriv·​el ˈshriv-əl 

shriveled or shrivelled; shriveling or shrivelling -(ə-)liŋ 

: to shrink and become dry and wrinkled