shrivelverb
uk/ˈʃrɪv.əl/us/ˈʃrɪv.əl/-ll- or US usually -l-[ I or T ] to become dry, smaller, and covered with lines as if by crushing or folding, or to make something do this:
The lack of rain has shrivelled the crops.
You ought to pick that lettuce before it shrivels (up) and dies.
[ I ] to become much smaller than is needed or wanted:
Profits are shrivelling as the recession gets worse.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Decaying and staying fresh
- best-before date
- biodegradable
- biodegrade
- compostable
- decay
- decompose
- go off
- keep
- molder
- out of date
- perishable
- pull date
- putrefaction
- putrefy
- putrid
- rack
- seed
- sell-by date
- spoil
- wormy
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Becoming and making smaller or less
shrivelled
adjective uk/ˈʃrɪv.əld/us/ˈʃrɪv.əld/
Those oranges were looking old and shrivelled, so I threw them out.