What does "shrink" mean?
Shrinkage; contraction; recoil.
Shrink
/ˈʃɹɪŋk/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Shrinkage; contraction; recoil.
- Grammar: shrink is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: psychiatrist, abate, ablate, about the bush.
- Useful contrasts: biological scale, bloated, booming.
- Usage evidence: If you wish to get on in the world, you must not shrink from effort.
How to use "shrink"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "shrink" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "shrink" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "shrink" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "shrink" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "shrink" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "psychiatrist" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "shrink", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Shrinkage; contraction; recoil.
"Yet almost with, with sudden shrink, That I had less to praise."
- 2 a physician who specializes in psychiatry wordnet
- 3 A psychiatrist or psychotherapist. derogatory, slang, sometimes
"You need to see a shrink, you crazy fool."
- 4 Loss of inventory, for example due to shoplifting or not selling items before their expiration date. uncountable
"Assuming the retailer's shrink is average or below, and the owner is comfortable with the level of shrink, perhaps nothing more need be done except to maintain vigilance and to monitor the shrink for signs of emerging problems."
Verb
- 1 To cause to become smaller. transitive
"The dryer shrank my sweater."
- 2 decrease in size, range, or extent wordnet
- 3 To become smaller; to contract. intransitive
"This garment will shrink when wet."
- 4 become smaller or draw together wordnet
- 5 To cower or flinch. intransitive
"Molly shrank away from the blows of the whip."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 reduce in size; reduce physically wordnet
- 7 To draw back; to withdraw. transitive
"The Libyc Hammon ſhrinks his horn,"
- 8 wither, as with a loss of moisture wordnet
- 9 To withdraw or retire, as from danger. figuratively, intransitive
"What happier natures shrink at with affright, / The hard inhabitant contends is right."
- 10 draw back, as with fear or pain wordnet
- 11 To move back or away, especially because of fear or disgust. intransitive
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"If you wish to get on in the world, you must not shrink from effort."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "shrink"?
Common synonyms include: psychiatrist, abate, ablate, about the bush, ache, agonize.
How do you use "shrink" in a sentence?
If you wish to get on in the world, you must not shrink from effort.
How do you pronounce "shrink"?
Pronounced /ˈʃɹɪŋk/.
Etymology
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.