# trickle

/ˈtɹɪkəɫ/ (US) · /tɹˈɪkəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/trickle
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. liquid flowing slowly

verb · CEFR B2

to flow slowly in a very thin stream or in small drops.

For teachers: to flow or fall in a thin, slow stream or in a series of drops. Often used as an intransitive verb.

- Water started to trickle down the wall after the heavy rainstorm.
- A small stream of melted snow began to trickle through the cracks in the pavement as the afternoon temperature rose above freezing.

### 2. moving slowly in small groups

verb · CEFR B2

to move slowly and in small numbers, like people entering a building.

For teachers: to move, arrive, or depart gradually or in small groups rather than all at once.

- The guests began to trickle into the hall about an hour before the wedding.
- Information about the new policy started to trickle out to the press, despite the company's efforts to keep the details confidential.

### 3. a thin stream

noun · CEFR B2

a small, thin flow of liquid.

For teachers: a thin, slow, or intermittent flow of liquid; can also refer to the sound produced by such a flow.

- The tap was old and only produced a tiny trickle of water.
- The hikers followed a narrow trickle of water up the mountain, hoping it would lead them to a larger spring.

## Examples

- A trickle of water ran down the window.
- The heavy rain eventually slowed to a trickle, allowing the hikers to leave their shelter.
- What began as a trickle of complaints soon became a flood of public outrage as more details of the corporate scandal were leaked to the press.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.