shrunk: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
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Quick answer
What does “shrunk” mean?
the past participle and a past tense form of 'shrink', meaning to become smaller, especially through exposure to heat, moisture, or pressure, or to draw back in fear or disgust.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
the past participle and a past tense form of 'shrink', meaning to become smaller, especially through exposure to heat, moisture, or pressure, or to draw back in fear or disgust.
Beyond physical reduction, it can describe a reduction in value, number, or significance (e.g., a shrunk economy), or a psychological/emotional withdrawal.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
British English strongly prefers 'shrank' as the simple past and 'shrunk' as the past participle. American English more readily accepts 'shrunk' for both simple past and past participle in casual use, though 'shrank' remains standard in formal writing.
Connotations
The use of 'shrunk' as a simple past can be marked as informal or dialectal in the UK. In the US, it is widely accepted in speech.
Frequency
'Shrunk' is high frequency in both varieties, but its use as a simple past is notably more frequent in American English.
Grammar
How to Use “shrunk” in a Sentence
SVO (intransitive): The fabric has shrunk.SVO (transitive): The wash shrunk my jeans.SVO + away from: She shrunk away from the sudden noise.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “shrunk” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The wool jumper shrank in the wash.
- He has shrunk from his responsibilities lately.
American English
- My favorite shirt shrunk in the dryer.
- The lake has shrunk during the drought.
adjective
British English
- The shrunken garment was beyond repair.
- He looked at the shrunken apple core.
American English
- She tried to stretch the shrunken sweater.
- The shrunken maps were hard to read.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used to describe markets, profits, or demand that has decreased.
Academic
Common in scientific contexts describing materials or populations; also in economics.
Everyday
Most frequent in contexts of laundry, clothing, or personal fear/recoil.
Technical
Used in materials science, textiles, and demography.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “shrunk”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “shrunk”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “shrunk”
- Using 'shrinked' (incorrect; the verb is irregular: shrink-shrank-shrunk).
- Overusing 'shrunk' as the simple past in formal British writing.
- Confusing 'shrunk' (made smaller) with 'shrunken' (which is typically used as an adjective: 'a shrunken head').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditionally, 'shrank' is the simple past (It shrank yesterday). 'Shrunk' is the past participle (It has shrunk). However, in informal American English, 'shrunk' is often used for both.
'Shrunk' is primarily the past participle used in verb constructions. 'Shrunken' is almost exclusively used as an adjective before a noun (e.g., a shrunken head, shrunken clothes).
Yes, informally. 'The hot water shrunk my sweater' means the hot water caused my sweater to shrink. The more formal transitive past participle is 'shrunk' or 'shrunken' in this pattern: 'I have shrunk the sweater' / 'The sweater was shrunken by the wash.'
No, 'shrinked' is a common error. The verb 'shrink' is irregular: shrink (present) - shrank (past) - shrunk (past participle).
Shrunk is usually neutral in register.
Shrunk: in British English it is pronounced /ʃrʌŋk/, and in American English it is pronounced /ʃrʌŋk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (movie title)”
- “shrunk to a shadow of its former self”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a SHRimp drUNKing water and getting smaller – SHR-UNK.
Conceptual Metaphor
FEAR IS PHYSICAL WITHDRAWAL (He shrunk from the challenge); VALUE IS SIZE (The investment portfolio has shrunk).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'shrunk' correctly in a formal context?