shrink
verb /ʃrɪŋk/
/ʃrɪŋk/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they shrink | /ʃrɪŋk/ /ʃrɪŋk/ |
| he / she / it shrinks | /ʃrɪŋks/ /ʃrɪŋks/ |
| past simple shrank | /ʃræŋk/ /ʃræŋk/ |
| past simple shrunk | /ʃrʌŋk/ /ʃrʌŋk/ |
| past participle shrunk | /ʃrʌŋk/ /ʃrʌŋk/ |
| -ing form shrinking | /ˈʃrɪŋkɪŋ/ /ˈʃrɪŋkɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] shrink (something) to become smaller, especially when washed in water that is too hot; to make clothes, cloth, etc. smaller in this way
- My sweater shrank in the wash.
- [intransitive, transitive] to become or to make something smaller in size or amount
- The tumour had shrunk to the size of a pea.
- The market for their products is shrinking.
- shrink something The internet in a sense has shrunk the world.
Extra Examples- Households have been shrinking in size but increasing in number.
- Their profits shrank by 4% last year.
- Their share of the market has shrunk from 14% to 5%.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- considerably
- dramatically
- significantly
- …
- by
- from
- to
- …
- shrink in size
- [intransitive] + adv./prep. to move back or away from something because you are frightened or shocked synonym cower
- He shrank back against the wall as he heard them approaching.
Extra ExamplesTopics Feelingsc2- I shrank back into the shadows.
- She shrank back in terror.
- She shrank from his touch.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- a little
- visibly
- instinctively
- …
- try to
- against
- in
- into
- …
Word OriginOld English scrincan, of Germanic origin; related to Swedish skrynka ‘to wrinkle’.
Idioms
a shrinking violet
- (humorous) a very shy person