shrink

verb
UK: /ʃrɪŋk/
US: /ʃrɪŋk/

  1. To become smaller, especially from heat or water.

    1. My shirt will shrink if I wash it too hot. [ ] [ ]
    2. The sweater shrank after being washed, it doesn't fit me anymore because it will shrink. [ ] [ ]

  2. To move back or away from something because you are frightened or worried.

    1. He shrink from the dog, fearing it might bite. [ ] [ ]
    2. She shrank away from the argument, not wanting to be in the middle of the conflict, so she shrink. [ ] [ ]

  3. To make something smaller.

    1. The company needs to shrink costs to stay profitable. [ ] [ ]
    2. We aim to shrink our carbon footprint by using less energy, so let's shrink. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

therapist contract diminish reduce psychiatrist lessen
shrink noun

  1. A psychiatrist, informally.

    1. I have an appointment with my shrink. [ ] [ ]
    2. After the accident, he needed a shrink to deal with the trauma, it helps to visit shrink. [ ] [ ]
shrink intransitive-verb

  1. To become less or smaller in size, amount, or value.

    1. The company's profits shrink every year. [ ] [ ]
    2. The market for typewriters continues to shrink as computers become more common, but shrink. [ ] [ ]
shrink transitive-verb

  1. To cause to become less or smaller in size, amount, or value.

    1. High taxes can shrink your investment returns. [ ] [ ]
    2. New technology has helped shrink the amount of time required to complete the task, so shrink. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "shrink" in English means: To become smaller, especially from heat or water., To move back or away from something because you are frightened or worried., To make something smaller..

The phonetic transcription of "shrink" is /ʃrɪŋk/ in British English and /ʃrɪŋk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "shrink": therapist, contract, diminish, reduce, psychiatrist, lessen.

Example usage of "shrink": "My shirt will shrink if I wash it too hot.". More examples on the page.