Word of the Day: Shrink
The verb “shrink” is used when something gets smaller. It’s an irregular verb:
| simple | past | past participle |
|---|---|---|
|
shrink
|
shrank
|
shrunk or shrunken*
|
- I put my sweater in the dryer and it shrank.
- The money in our bank account is shrinking.
- Bill’s waistline has been shrinking since he went on a diet.
- The number of students remaining in this class has shrunk since the beginning of the semester.
- The number of shopping days left until Christmas is shrinking quickly.
- The commute to downtown Minneapolis shrank after the highway construction project was completed.
- You should never shrink from your responsibilities. (In this sentence, “shrink” means to withdraw or remove oneself.)
- It will be impossible for him to wear this shrunken t-shirt. (The word “shrunken” is an adjective in this sentence.)
When the word “shrink” is used as a noun, it’s slang for psychiatrist.
- Tom is seeing a shrink. (He’s meeting with a psychiatrist.)
- It’s not unusual for wealthy, famous people to regularly visit a shrink.
*Notice that there are two choices for the past participle. The verb “shrink” is one of those strange verbs that has a few different possibilities for the past participle. They both sound okay, but I prefer “shrunken” when it’s used as an adjective.
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with S page to see the list of all words starting with letter S. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
