In a manner that decreases rapidly toward zero; to an extremely small or insignificant degree. This adverb describes something that diminishes so drastically that it becomes almost imperceptible or non-existent. It emphasizes the extreme smallness or briefness of a quantity, quality, or duration. The term often implies a process of gradual reduction or a state where something is barely present. It highlights the rapid transition from observable to unobservable, emphasizing the concept of things shrinking until, effectively, they disappear.
Vanishingly meaning with examples
- The chances of winning the lottery are vanishingly small, yet people still buy tickets, clinging to the hope of an unlikely fortune. Their dream of becoming a millionaire seems almost a fairytale when weighing it against reality. Despite the odds, the human desire for wealth remains a powerful driving force.
- As the spaceship accelerated to near light-speed, the effects of gravity on the passengers became vanishingly minor. They experienced weightlessness and the environment of space. The rapid change reduced the influence of the planet.
- With each passing generation, the physical traits of our ancestors become vanishingly apparent. Through the mixing of races and inheritance of genes, physical similarities can diminish over time and traits change greatly.
- In quantum mechanics, the probability of a particle tunneling through a potential barrier can be vanishingly small depending on the barrier's height and width, but it is never quite zero. Therefore the results can be unpredictable.