different between dwindle vs alleviate

English

Etymology

Frequentative form of dwine, from Middle English dwinen, from Old English dw?nan (“to waste away”), equivalent to dwine +? -le, akin to Old Norse dvena/dvína (Danish tvine (“to pine away”), Dutch verdwijnen (“to disappear, dwindle”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?dw?n.d?l/
• Rhymes: -?nd?l

Verb

dwindle (third-person singular simple present dwindles, present participle dwindling, simple past and past participle dwindled)

1. (intransitive) To decrease, shrink, diminish, reduce in size or intensity.
   • 1802, T. Paynell (translator), Erasmus, The Complaint of Peace

     [E]very thing that was improving gradually degenerates and dwindles away to nothing, […]

2. (intransitive, figuratively) To fall away in quality; degenerate, sink.
   • 1766, Oliver Goldsmith, Vicar, III

     The flattery of his friends began to dwindle into simple approbation.

   • 1919, Boris Sidis, The Source and Aim of Human Progress

     The larger the empire, the more dwindles the mind of the citizen.
3. (transitive) To lessen; to bring low.

   • Our drooping days are dwindled down to nought.

4. To break up or disperse.

Derived terms

Translations

References

Anagrams

• windled

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin alleviatus, past participle of alleviare (“to lighten”) (ad- (“towards”) + levis (“light”)). Doublet of alegge.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??li.vi.e?t/

Verb

alleviate (third-person singular simple present alleviates, present participle alleviating, simple past and past participle alleviated)

1. (transitive) To make less severe, as a pain or difficulty.

   Alcohol is often a cheap tool to alleviate the stress of a hard day.

Usage notes

Particularly used of pain or difficulty, with connotations of “lightening a load”.

Synonyms

• address, allay, ameliorate, assuage, ease, mitigate, relieve

Antonyms

• (to make less severe): aggravate

Related terms

Translations

Italian

Verb

alleviate

1. second-person plural present subjunctive of allevare
2. second-person plural present indicative of alleviare
3. second-person plural imperative of alleviare
4. second-person plural present subjunctive of alleviare
5. feminine plural of alleviato

Anagrams

• alleatevi

Latin

Participle

allevi?te

1. vocative masculine singular of allevi?tus