shrivel up

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shrivel up

The grapes shrivel up in the hot sun.

Definition
  1. Verb (intransitive):
    • To become smaller, wrinkled, and dried out, often due to heat, age, or lack of moisture. It describes a loss of volume and vitality, resulting in a shrunken appearance.
Usage
  • This verb is intransitive, meaning it does not take a direct object. The thing that shrivels is the subject of the sentence.
  • It often describes the natural process of decay or dehydration in organic matter like plants, fruits, or skin.
  • It can be used figuratively to describe a decline in energy, importance, or vitality.
Examples

  • Literal Usage:

    • Without water, the leaves began to shrivel up and turn brown.
    • The grapes had shriveled up into raisins in the hot sun.
    • Her hands seemed to shrivel up with age.

  • Figurative Usage:

    • His confidence seemed to shrivel up under her harsh criticism.
    • The organization's funding shriveled up during the economic crisis.
Advanced Usage
  • "to shrivel up and die": A common collocation emphasizing complete withering or failure.
    • Without public support, the community project will simply shrivel up and die.
Variants and Related Words
  • Shrivel (verb): A more common, shorter form with the same meaning. "Shrivel up" can sometimes add emphasis to the completeness of the action.
    • The flower will shrivel without sunlight.
  • Shriveled (adjective): Describing the state of having become wrinkled and contracted.
    • He offered her a shriveled apple.
Synonyms
  • Wither: To become dry and sapless; to lose vitality.
  • Wilt: To lose freshness, droop (especially for plants).
  • Parch: To make or become extremely dry, often by heat.
  • Desiccate: To remove moisture from; to dry thoroughly.
Phrasal Verbs
  • Shrivel up is itself a phrasal verb. The particle "up" can sometimes be omitted ("shrivel") without a significant change in core meaning, though "shrivel up" can imply a more complete or final process.
Related Idioms
  • To shrivel on the vine: To fail or be abandoned before coming to fruition (like unpicked fruit).
    • The promising initiative shriveled on the vine due to lack of leadership.
shrivel up

The grapes shrivel up in the hot sun.

Verb
  1. wither, as with a loss of moisture
    • The fruit dried and shriveled

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