shrink — to become smaller in size or amount
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to become smaller in size or amount
Pronunciation (IPA): /ʃrɪŋk/
Example Sentences
- My favorite jeans shrank so much that now my little brother wears them.
- The company's profits have been shrinking for three consecutive years.
- She shrank back in horror when she opened the refrigerator and found moldy cheese.
shrink
VERB[/ʃrɪŋk/]
to become smaller in size or amount
The glacier continued to shrink as temperatures rose.
The kingdom's territory began to shrink after years of war. (SMALLER + TIGHTER = SHRINK)
As resources shrink, cities sink toward the brink.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Shrink derives from Old English 'scrincan', meaning to wrinkle or bend. The meaning evolved over time to denote 'become smaller' or 'contract', and in the 20th century, it acquired slang usage referring to a psychiatrist.
Breakdown
The word comes from Old English 'scrincan' (to wrinkle, bend, or shrivel), with the root expressing contraction or reduction in size. The modern sense of 'psychiatrist' emerged as 20th-century American slang, likely from the notion of 'shrinking' one's mental problems.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My favorite jeans shrank so much that now my little brother wears them.”
“The company's profits have been shrinking for three consecutive years.”
“She shrank back in horror when she opened the refrigerator and found moldy cheese.”
“The ice caps are shrinking due to global warming.”
“My wallet seems to shrink every time I go shopping with my girlfriend.”
📚Related Words
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