Shrink

/ʃrɪŋk/

Meaning & Definition

noun

a person who performs surgery or therapy, especially a psychiatrist or psychologist.

He decided to talk to a shrink about his anxiety issues.

verb

to become smaller in size, amount, or value.

The sweater will shrink if you wash it in hot water.

to cause something to become smaller.

The intense heat caused the plastic to shrink.

to retreat or withdraw.

She felt herself shrink back from the argument.

Middle English 'shrinken', from Old English 'scrinkan' meaning to 'shrivel, fade'.

shrink away

to move back or down as a result of fear or anxiety.

shrink wrap

a plastic film that shrinks tightly around an object when heat is applied.

shrink in size

to reduce in dimensions.

shrinkage

the act of shrinking or the amount something has shrunk.

shrivel

to become wrinkled and shrunken.

reduce

to make smaller or less in amount or degree.

a therapist or psychiatrist

After my last breakup, I decided to see a shrink.

to hesitate or be afraid

He shrank from making the difficult decision.