verschwindend
Translation
negligible, vanishingly small, insignificant
Examples
Der Unterschied ist verschwindend gering.
The difference is negligibly small.
Eine verschwindend kleine Minderheit war dagegen.
A vanishingly small minority was against it.
Grammar Patterns
verschwindend + Adjective vanishingly/negligibly + adjective The chance is vanishingly small.
Similar Words
Synonyms: geringfügig (minor), unerheblich (insignificant); Antonyms: beträchtlich (considerable), erheblich (significant)
Etymology
The present participle of the verb `verschwinden` (to disappear). It comes from `ver-` + `schwinden` (to dwindle, fade). 'Disappearing' leads to the meaning 'vanishingly small'.
Memory Tips
Think of something that is `verschwinden` (disappearing), so it becomes very, very small, or negligible.