verb

shrink

to become smaller, to contract, to recoil

My jumper shrank in the wash.

My sweater shrank in the wash.

The market is shrinking.

The market is shrinking.

He shrank away from the dog.

He shrank away from the dog.

((sth.)) to become smaller The sweater shrank in the wash.

((sb.)) ((from sth.)) to move back from something frightening She shrank from the sight of the spider.

Synonyms: contract, decrease, diminish; Antonyms: expand, grow, stretch

From Old English 'scrincan' meaning 'to draw in the limbs, contract, wither'.

It rhymes with 'drink'. Imagine you 'drink' a potion that makes you 'shrink'.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.