shrivel

[ shriv-uhl ]

verb (used with or without object)

, shriv·eled, shriv·el·ing or (especially British) shriv·elled, shriv·el·ling.

1. to contract and wrinkle, as from great heat, cold, or dryness.

   Synonyms: shrink

2. to wither; make or become helpless or useless.

shrivel

/ ˈʃrɪvəl /

verb

1. to make or become shrunken and withered
2. to lose or cause to lose vitality

Other Words From

• un·shriveled adjective
• un·shrivelled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrivel¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; akin to Swedish skroflig “uneven, rough” (perhaps originally “wrinkled, shrunken”), dialectal Swedish skryvla “to wrinkle,” Old English sceorfan “to roughen”; scurf

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrivel¹

C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish dialect skryvla wrinkle

Synonym Study

See wither.

Example Sentences

Is this next chapter in politics one the government can own, shape and dominate, or will they continue to be buffeted by missteps and a new-look but shrivelled opposition opposite them?

From BBC

The political backdrop of the mid-2020s is an anti-politics era of wild political flux, shrivelled election turnouts, noisy social media and, crucially, a protracted period of squeezed living standards.

From BBC

My right eye is lazy, shriveled and blind; it moves like an out-of-control marble circling a drain.

From Los Angeles Times

"I thought I was going to shrivel away to nothing," Balsamico told Grist.

From Salon

His wife, Stephanie Allen, who cares for him, said it is hard to watch her husband, the commercial helicopter pilot, the veteran Hollywood crew member, shrivel in front of the TV.

From New York Times

Related Words

• dwindle
• shrink
• wilt
• wither