1 A2 neutral
To become noticeably smaller in physical size.
"The sweater shrank down by two sizes after I accidentally put it in the dryer."
inseparable
shrink down
B1 neutral inseparable transitive/intransitive
To become smaller in size, scale, or volume; to reduce something to a smaller state.
In plain English
To get smaller, or to make something smaller.
What does "shrink down" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To reduce something in scale, scope, or size.
"Engineers had to shrink down the component to fit inside the new, slimmer device."
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
To become smaller emotionally or psychologically; to feel diminished.
"Every time her manager criticized her, she felt herself shrink down with shame."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To shrink in a downward direction (toward smaller) — transparent.
Actually means
To get smaller, or to make something smaller.
Usage tip
'Down' adds emphasis on the completeness or direction of the reduction. Used in technology contexts (shrink down code, file size), in cooking (vegetables shrink down when cooked), and in physics/materials. Also used figuratively.
Words that pair with "shrink down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
size volume file tumor vegetables budget
How to conjugate "shrink down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
shrink down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shrinks down
he/she/it
Past simple
shrinked down
yesterday
Past participle
shrinked down
have + pp
-ing form
shrinking down
continuous
Hear "shrink down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "shrink down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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