- a past participle and past tense of shrink
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
shrunk
(shrungk),USA pronunciation v.
- a pp. and pt. of shrink.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
shrunk /ʃrʌŋk/ vb
shrink /ʃrɪŋk/USA pronunciation
v., shrank /ʃræŋk/USA pronunciation or, often, shrunk /ʃrʌŋk/USA pronunciation ; shrunk or shrunk•en /ˈʃrʌŋkən/USA pronunciation ;
shrink•ing, n.
v.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026shrink•ing, n.
v.
- to (cause to) contract or lessen in size: [no object]clothes that shrink if washed in hot water.[~ + object]Hot water will shrink some of those clothes.
- to (cause to) become reduced in extent, amount, or value: [no object]The bank's resources are shrinking.[~ + object]Inflation and taxation are shrinking our resources.
- to draw back;
move back suddenly, as in horror:[no object;(~ + back)]to shrink from danger; She shrank back in her seat as the horror movie got even nastier.
n. [countable]
- Slang Termsa psychotherapist, psychiatrist, or psychoanalyst.
shrink
(shringk),USA pronunciation v., shrank or, often, shrunk;
shrunk or shrunk•en;
shrink•ing;
n.
v.i.
v.t.
n.
shrink′a•ble, adj.
shrink′ing•ly, adv.
shrunk or shrunk•en;
shrink•ing;
n.
v.i.
- to draw back, as in retreat or avoidance:to shrink from danger; to shrink from contact.
- to contract or lessen in size, as from exposure to conditions of temperature or moisture:This cloth will not shrink if washed in lukewarm water.
- to become reduced in extent or compass.
v.t.
- to cause to shrink or contract;
reduce. - Textilesto cause (a fabric) to contract during finishing, thus preventing shrinkage, during laundering, of the garments made from it.
n.
- an act or instance of shrinking.
- a shrinking movement.
- shrinkage.
- Slang TermsAlso, shrinker. Also called head shrinker. a psychotherapist, psychiatrist, or psychoanalyst.
- bef. 900; 1955–60 for def. 9; Middle English schrinken, Old English scrincan; cognate with Middle Dutch schrinken, Swedish skrynka to shrink, Norwegian skrukka old shrunken woman
shrink′ing•ly, adv.
- 1. withdraw, recoil, quail. See wince. 3. See decrease.
- 3. increase.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
shrink /ʃrɪŋk/ vb (shrinks, shrinking, shrank, shrunk, shrunk, shrunken)
- to contract or cause to contract as from wetness, heat, cold, etc
- to become or cause to become smaller in size
- (intransitive) often followed by from:
- to recoil or withdraw: to shrink from the sight of blood
- to feel great reluctance (at)
- the act or an instance of shrinking
- slang a psychiatrist
'shrunk' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Chad
- felloe
- shrink
- sleeve
- overshrink or, often, or
- preshrink
- preshrunk
- simply-connected