shrink

/ʃrɪŋk/

/ʃrɪŋk/

Other forms: shrank; shrinking; shrunk; shrinks

Shrink is the informal word you can use to talk about a therapist. Talking about your problems with her can hopefully help you shrink them, or make them smaller.

The word shrink is related to the Swedish skrynka meaning "to wrinkle." Think about what happens to a lone forgotten fruit at the bottom of your fridge drawer. After a while, it begins to wrinkle or shrink. Clothes washed in hot water tend to shrink, so be wary of the setting on your washing machine. The use of shrink as referring to therapists started as late as the 1960s — with the idea of a psychologist being a "head-shrinker."

Definitions of shrink

1. verb

   wither, as with a loss of moisture
   synonyms: shrivel, shrivel up, wither

   types:

   atrophy

   undergo weakening or degeneration as through lack of use

   blast

   shrivel or wither or mature imperfectly

   die back, die down

   suffer from a disease that kills shoots

   dry up, mummify

   dry up and shrivel due to complete loss of moisture

   type of:

   decrease, diminish, fall, lessen

   decrease in size, extent, or range
2. verb

   decrease in size, range, or extent
   “His earnings shrank”

   synonyms: shrivel

   type of:

   decrease, diminish, fall, lessen

   decrease in size, extent, or range
3. verb

   reduce in size; reduce physically
   “Hot water will shrink the sweater”

   “Can you shrink this image?”

   synonyms: reduce

   types:

   reduce, scale down

   make smaller

   reef

   reduce (a sail) by taking in a reef

   miniaturise, miniaturize

   design or construct on a smaller scale

   depopulate, desolate

   reduce in population

   downsize

   make in a smaller size

   contract

   make smaller

   purse, wrinkle

   gather or contract into wrinkles or folds; pucker

   type of:

   decrease, lessen, minify

   make smaller
4. verb

   become smaller or draw together
   “The fabric shrank”

   “The balloon shrank”

   synonyms: contract

   antonyms:

   stretch

   become longer by being stretched and pulled

   types:

   flex

   contract

   type of:

   decrease, diminish, fall, lessen

   decrease in size, extent, or range
5. verb

   draw back, as with fear or pain
   synonyms: cringe, flinch, funk, quail, recoil, squinch, wince

   types:

   retract, shrink back

   pull away from a source of disgust or fear

   type of:

   move

   move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion
6. noun

   a physician who specializes in psychiatry
   synonyms: head-shrinker, psychiatrist

   examples:

   Karen Danielsen Horney

   United States psychiatrist (1885-1952)

   Karl Theodor Jaspers

   German psychiatrist (1883-1969)

   Charles Frederick Menninger

   United States psychiatrist who with his sons founded a famous psychiatric clinic in Topeka (1862-1953)

   Karl Augustus Menninger

   United States psychiatrist and son of Charles Menninger (1893-1990)

   William Claire Menninger

   United States psychiatrist and son of Charles Menninger (1899-1966)

   Harry Stack Sullivan

   United States psychiatrist (1892-1949)

   types:

   alienist

   a psychiatrist and specialist in the legal aspects of mental illness

   analyst, psychoanalyst

   a licensed practitioner of psychoanalysis

   type of:

   medical specialist, specialist

   someone who practices one branch of medicine