Word
shrunken
Phoneticsshrunk·en, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈʃɹəŋkən/
UK/ʃɹˈʌŋkən/
Definition
adj. smaller than before, often after washing, heating, or drying out. You use it for clothes, fruit, or skin that has lost size.
adj. reduced in size from an earlier or original state, typically through washing, heat, ageing, or loss of moisture.
Examples
“My sweater looks shrunken after the hot wash.”
“She holds up the shrunken jeans that no longer fit after a hot dryer cycle.”
“The museum displayed shrunken apples from the drought year, their wrinkled skins telling a quiet story of heat and lost harvests.”
Examples
simple
“My sweater looks shrunken after the hot wash.”
contextual
“She holds up the shrunken jeans that no longer fit after a hot dryer cycle.”
complex
“The museum displayed shrunken apples from the drought year, their wrinkled skins telling a quiet story of heat and lost harvests.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “shrunken” in context.
Verb
01. feel shrunken
“This shirt feels shrunken after washing it in hot water.”
verb + adj
02. find shrunken
“She found her sweater shrunken after leaving it on the radiator.”
verb + adj
03. leave shrunken
“Hot water will leave woollen clothes shrunken and stiff.”
verb + adj
04. look shrunken
“After a week in the sun, the grapes began to look shrunken.”
verb + adj
05. shrunken by heat
“The plastic cover was shrunken by heat and no longer fit.”
adj + prep + noun
06. shrunken from washing
“My T-shirt is shrunken from washing it too hot.”
adj + prep + noun
Adjective
07. badly shrunken
“My wool jumper came out of the dryer badly shrunken.”
adv + adj
Noun
08. shrunken apple
“She threw away the soft, shrunken apple in the bowl.”
adj + noun
09. shrunken head
“The museum displayed a tiny shrunken head from South America.”
adj + noun
10. a shrunken old shirt
“He was wearing a shrunken old shirt that barely covered his wrists.”
11. come out shrunken
“Be careful or your shirt will come out shrunken.”
12. shrunken in cold air
“The fruit was left shrunken in cold air after harvest.”
Usage
Often used before a noun ('shrunken sweater') or after linking verbs like 'look' or 'feel'.
Real-World Examples
“The teams would barnstorm around the world, racing shrunken versions of the AC72—called AC45s—to drum up interest in the main event.” Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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