shrink

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++shrink1 /ʃrɪŋk/ ●●○ verb (past tense shrank /ʃræŋk/, past participle shrunk /ʃrʌŋk/)  1  [intransitive, transitive]SMALL to become smaller, or to make something smaller, through the effects of heat or water （使）缩小，（使）收缩 I’m worried about washing that shirt in case it shrinks. 我不太敢洗那件衬衫，怕它会缩水。 → pre-shrunk, shrunken2  [intransitive, transitive]VALUELESS to become or to make something smaller in amount, size, or value （使）〔数量、体积或价值〕变小，减少，缩小 OPP grow The city continued to shrink. 这座城市继续缩小。shrink to The firm’s staff had shrunk to only four people. 这家公司的员工缩减到只剩四个人了。 Treatment can shrink a tumour. 治疗能够使肿瘤萎缩。 We want to expand the business, not shrink it. 我们要扩大业务，而不是缩小。3  [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]BACK/BACKWARDS to move back and away from something, especially because you are frightened 〔尤指因恐惧而〕退缩，畏缩 She listened, shrinking under the blankets, to their shouts. 她缩在毯子下面听他们咆哮。 Meredith was scared of him and shrank back. 梅雷迪思害怕他，直往后退。 His anger was enough to make the others shrink away from him. 他的怒火足以使别人退缩。4 shrink from something phrasal verb AVOIDto avoid doing something difficult or unpleasant 避免做，不做〔困难或不愉快的事〕 The leadership too often shrinks from hard decisions. 领导层常常回避作困难的决定。shrink from doing something We will not shrink from making the necessary changes in policy. 我们不会回避对政策作出必要的修改。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

shrink• Don't wash that sweater in the machine - it'll shrink.• She was convinced he was shrinking.• Oh no! My skirt has shrunk!• After 5 months of chemotherapy treatment like this, the tumours shrank.• Its domestic share shrank from nearly 10 percent to just over 7 percent.• As we have already noted, he may well have been a militant nationalist who did not shrink from violence.• My sweater shrank in the dryer.• As the family has shrunk it has also lost some of its traditional functions to the public world.• Profits have been shrinking over the last year.• There has been a steadily shrinking supply of it.• We hope these reforms will shrink the nation's budget deficit.• This explains why even our most effective efforts to move people into jobs seem never to shrink the welfare rolls.• So mounds of snow never shrink, they turn into icebergs.shrink2 noun [countable] informal  1.DOCTORa psychoanalyst or psychiatrist – used humorously 精神分析学家；精神科医生〔幽默用法〕

Examples from the Corpus

shrink• Willis returns as a criminal on the run, hunted by cops, believed only by a shrink played by Madeleine Stowe.• Richard saw a shrink, who gave him a prescription for antidepressants.• That guy's crazy - he ought to see a shrink.• He went to another shrink, who prescribed another set of antidepressants.• She was sorry for him, but she was no shrink.• The shrinks at the hospital said they think Gary needs therapy.From Longman Business Dictionaryshrinkshrink /ʃrɪŋk/ verb (past tense shrank /ʃræŋk/, past participle shrunk /ʃrʌŋk/)1[intransitive] to become smaller in amount, size, or valueThe economy is expected to shrink slightly.In the past decade, the number of employees has shrunk 30%.Companies are battling for a share of the shrinking market.2[transitive] to reduce the amount, size, or value of somethingAn 11% drop in imports helped shrink the trade deficit.→ See Verb tableOrigin shrink1 Old English scrincan shrink2 (1900-2000) head-shrinker “psychiatrist” ((1900-2000))

shrink1 verbshrink2 nounChinese  

something become through or smaller, make to Corpus to smaller, Business

shrink

I

shrink¹ /ʃrɪŋk/ verb (past tense shrank /ʃræŋk/, past participle shrunk /ʃrʌŋk/)1. [intransitive and transitive] to become smaller, or to make something smaller, through the effects of heat or water:
    I’m worried about washing that shirt in case it shrinks. ⇨ pre-shrunk, shrunken
2. [intransitive and transitive] to become or to make something smaller in amount, size, or value
   OPP  grow:
    The city continued to shrink.
    shrink to
    The firm’s staff had shrunk to only four people.
    Treatment can shrink a tumour.
    We want to expand the business, not shrink it.
3. [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move back and away from something, especially because you are frightened:
    She listened, shrinking under the blankets, to their shouts.
    Meredith was scared of him and shrank back.
    His anger was enough to make the others shrink away from him.
     
shrink from something phrasal verb
  to avoid doing something difficult or unpleasant:
    The leadership too often shrinks from hard decisions.
    shrink from doing something
    We will not shrink from making the necessary changes in policy.

II

shrink² noun [countable] informala psychoanalyst or psychiatrist – used humorously
     

THESAURUS

■ a doctor who treats mental illness
   ▪ psychiatrist /saɪˈkaɪətrəst, saɪˈkaɪətrɪst $ sə-/ a doctor who is trained to treat people with mental illnesses: In order to become a psychiatrist, you first need a medical degree.
   ▪ psychologist /saɪˈkɒlədʒəst, saɪˈkɒlədʒɪst $ -ˈkɑː-/ a scientist who studies and is trained in psychology (=the study of the mind): Many psychologists believe that aggression is a learned behaviour.
   ▪ shrink informal a humorous word for a psychiatrist
   ▪ therapist a trained person whose job is to help people with their emotional problems, especially by talking to them and asking them to talk about their feelings