different between dwindle vs lower

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 1

low +? -er (comparative suffix)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?l???/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?lo??/
• Rhymes: -???(r)
• Rhymes: -a?.?(?)

Adjective

lower

1. comparative form of low: more low
2. bottom; more towards the bottom than the middle of an object
3. Situated on lower ground, nearer a coast, or more southerly.

4. (geology, of strata or geological time periods) older

Antonyms

• (more low): higher
• (bottom): upper
• (older): upper

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

lower

1. comparative form of low: more low

Verb

lower (third-person singular simple present lowers, present participle lowering, simple past and past participle lowered)

1. (transitive) To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down

   lower a bucket into a well

   to lower a sail of a boat

2. (transitive) to pull down

   to lower a flag

   • 1833 (first publication), Alfred Tennyson, A Dream of Fair Women

     Lower'd softly with a threefold cord of love
     Down to a silent grave.

3. (transitive) To reduce the height of

   lower a fence or wall

   lower a chimney or turret

4. (transitive) To depress as to direction

   lower the aim of a gun

5. (transitive) To make less elevated

   to lower one's ambition, aspirations, or hopes

6. (transitive) To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of

   lower the temperature

   lower one's vitality

   lower distilled liquors

7. (transitive) To bring down; to humble

   lower one's pride

8. (reflexive) (lower oneself) To humble oneself; to do something one considers to be beneath one's dignity.

   I could never lower myself enough to buy second-hand clothes.

9. (transitive) To reduce (something) in value, amount, etc.

   lower the price of goods

   lower the interest rate

10. (intransitive) To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease

    The river lowered as rapidly as it rose.

11. (intransitive) To decrease in value, amount, etc.

Synonyms

• (let (something) descend by its own weight, such as a bucket or sail): bring down
• (reduce the height of, as a fence or chimney): shorten
• (depress as to direction, as a gun):
• (make less elevated as to object, as ambitions or hopes): reduce
• (reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of, as temperature): reduce, turn down
• (transitive: to humble):
• (reflexive: to humble oneself): be humble
• (reduce (something) in value, amount, etc): cut, reduce
• (intransitive: grow less): die off, drop, fall, fall off, shrink
• (intransitive: decrease in value): become/get smaller, become/get lower, lessen, reduce

Derived terms

• lower the boom
• lower the tone

Translations

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?la??/, /?la?.?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?la??/, /?la?.?/

Verb

lower (third-person singular simple present lowers, present participle lowering, simple past and past participle lowered)

1. Alternative spelling of lour

Related terms

• loweringly

Anagrams

• owler, rowel

Scanian

Etymology

From Old Norse lágr, from Proto-Germanic *l?gaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lé???], [l?????]

Adjective

lower m

1. low