🇬🇧 Shrink meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

To shrink means to become smaller or shorter than before, like when a big balloon slowly gets tinier, or when your sweater gets smaller in the wash and doesn’t fit you anymore.

When Dad did his “cool” dance, my desire to be seen with him began to shrink at record speed.

My mountain of broccoli seemed to shrink very slowly, one suspicious bite at a time.

I watered my plastic plant to help it grow, but all it did was shrink my hopes for a jungle bedroom.

I put a huge sponge dinosaur in water to grow, but instead I watched my patience shrink while nothing happened.

If you put some clothes in hot water, they can shrink and turn your favorite pants into doll pants.

She watched her favorite sweater shrink, shrink, and shrink until sleeves nearly slipped over hands. Each wash made the sweater shrink more; she held it up and felt her heart sink as it would shrink again. Then she folded the tiny sweater, laughed, and tucked it into a box for a doll, relieved.

This word is at the C1 level, which means it’s part of advanced English. It’s used in sophisticated conversations, professional settings, and academic discussions. Words at this level help you express yourself fluently and precisely in nuanced situations.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.