shrink
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to become smaller in size, often because of heat or water.
v.to become smaller in size or amount, particularly in reference to fabric contracting after washing.
Simple“Be careful not to wash that wool sweater in hot water or it will shrink.”
In context“The company's profit margins began to shrink as global competition drove down the market price of their flagship product.”
PitfallMy shirt was shrinked in the wash. My shirt shrank in the wash.The past tense of 'shrink' is 'shrank', not 'shrinked'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to move away from something because you are scared or find it unpleasant.
v.to recoil or draw back physically or mentally from something perceived as dangerous or disgusting.
Simple“The child seemed to shrink away from the loud, barking dog.”
In context“She did not shrink from the challenge, despite knowing that the legal battle would likely last for several years.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a casual and sometimes slightly rude word for a doctor who treats mental health.
n.a slang term for a psychiatrist or psychotherapist, derived from the idea of 'head-shrinking'.
Simple“He decided to see a shrink to talk about his stress at work.”
In context“The protagonist in the film spends most of the first act complaining to his shrink about his recurring nightmares.”
Teacher's tipWhile common in movies and TV, some people find this term disrespectful; use 'therapist' in professional settings.
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
n.the loss of products from a shop because of theft or damage.
n.the loss of inventory between the point of manufacture or purchase and the point of sale, typically due to theft or administrative error.
Simple“The shop owner was worried about the high amount of shrink this month.”
In context“Retailers are investing heavily in AI-driven surveillance to combat the rising costs associated with inventory shrink.”
UsageIn a business context, this is often used as an uncountable noun.
Synonymsshrinkagewastage
“Now, under proposals introduced by the federal government earlier this year, tighter controls will be introduced to shrink its size and budget.”
“But as the Earth shrinks ever smaller in their rear-view mirror, they've had a constant connection with mission control in Houston, Texas.”
From Middle English schrynken, from Old English sċrincan, from Proto-Germanic *skrinkwaną. Cognate with Dutch schrinken (“to shrink”). The sense “psychologist, psychotherapist” is a clipping of head-shrinker.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.