To shrink means to become smaller or to make something smaller. When you wash a wool sweater in hot water, it might shrink so much that it no longer fits. When a snowman shrinks on a warm day, it gets smaller as the ice melts. Your shadow shrinks at noon when the sun is directly overhead.

The word also describes pulling back out of fear or discomfort. You might shrink from touching a hot stove, or shrink back when a big dog barks loudly. A shy student might shrink into their seat when the teacher asks for volunteers. This kind of shrinking is about making yourself smaller or less visible, usually because something makes you nervous or uncertain.

People sometimes use shrink as informal slang for a psychiatrist or therapist, because these professionals help people “shrink” or reduce their mental health problems.

Interestingly, shrinking isn't always bad. Sometimes problems that seemed enormous at first shrink when you face them directly, becoming much more manageable than you feared.