English vocabulary · B1
Shrivel
/ˈʃrɪvəl/ · v.
When something shrivels, it dries out and gets small and wrinkled. This can happen to fruit and skin.
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Example sentences
- The grape shriveled into a raisin.
- Her fingers shriveled in the pool.
Word origin and roots
- origin — unknown
Synonyms and nuances
- WITHER — become dry and weak over time (Loses All Its Life)
- SHRINK — become smaller in size (Gets Smaller)
- WILT — lose freshness and bend down (Droops And Fades)
Similar words
- wither
- shrink
- wilt
Lesson notes
When something shrivels, it dries out and gets small and wrinkled. This can happen to fruit and skin.
Related: wither, shrink, wilt. Use shrivel when something dries and becomes wrinkled.
The grape shriveled into a raisin. Her fingers shriveled in the pool.
Shrivel has no known origin. It first showed up in the 1560s. No one knows why, but you know the look well.