Word · Frequency #5528
shrinks
缩小；收缩
shrinks is the third person singular of shrink.
To become smaller or contract.
- 1.
To cause to become smaller.
使变小
- 2.
To become smaller; to contract.
变小；收缩
- 3.
To cower or flinch.
畏缩或退缩
- 4.
To draw back; to withdraw.
退缩；撤退
- 5.
To withdraw or retire, as from danger.
从危险中撤退或退隐
- 6.
To move back or away, especially because of fear or disgust.
因恐惧或厌恶而后退或远离
使缩小；使收缩；退缩；畏缩；退避；使变小；变小；收缩；畏缩或退缩
In use
Wool sweaters often shrink in hot water.
The ice on the lake shrank as the temperature rose.
My jeans have shrunk after being washed in warm water.
sb/sth shrinks
不及物用法，主语自己变小；过去式是 shrank，过去分词是 shrunk，也可写作 shrunken。
The fabric shrinks when it gets wet.
这种布料遇水会缩水。
shrink sth
及物用法，主语使宾语变小；注意不要与不及物用法混淆。
Hot water shrank my wool sweater.
热水让我的羊毛衫缩水了。
shrink from sth/doing sth
表示因害怕、厌恶等而回避做某事；from 后接名词或动名词。
She never shrank from telling the truth.
Connections
Collocations
- shrink back
- 畏缩后退
- She shrank back from the snake.她看见蛇便吓得向后退缩。
- shrink from
- 畏缩回避；不敢面对
- We must not shrink from our responsibilities.我们绝不能畏缩逃避自己的责任。
- shrink in the wash
- 洗后缩水
- This T-shirt shrank in the wash.这件T恤洗后缩水了。
- shrink rapidly
- 迅速缩小；急剧萎缩
- The glacier is shrinking rapidly.冰川正在迅速缩小。
- shrink the size of
- 压缩…的规模；缩减…的规模
- We need to shrink the size of the meeting.我们需要缩减会议的规模。
Idioms & figurative uses
Learner notes
Memory Tip
shrink 里有 rink（溜冰场）：冰一暖就缩小，人因害怕而退缩。记住“缩”与“退”两个意思。
Context & Register
语域：mixed 常见场景：日常对话与一般书面语、文学或正式描写 作核心义“变小/收缩”用时通常为中性，日常和一般书面都自然；作“退缩/畏缩”用时比较常见于书面或文学性描述，日常口语中较少单独这样用。
Grammar Note
可作及物或不及物动词；作不及物时常用shrink from表示退缩。
Pronunciation & Spelling
These words all rhyme with shrink: they share the stressed vowel /ɪ/ and the final /ŋk/ (drink, think, link, pink, sink, wink). Beware useful lookalikes that sound different: shrine /ʃraɪn/ and shriek /ʃriːk/ share the initial shr- but do not rhyme with shrink.
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 2，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.