Synonyms of shrinking

shrinking 1 of 3

adjective

as in afraid

Related Words

• afraid
• timid
• frightened
• scared
• terrified
• alarmed
• timorous
• tremulous
• worried
• aghast
• spooked
• panicked
• perturbed
• upset
• chicken
• fearsome
• horrified
• panicky
• fainthearted
• disquieted
• disturbed
• agitated
• fearful
• scary
• terrorized
• apprehensive
• tremulant
• hysterical
• affrighted
• disconcerted
• shocked
• phobic
• jittery
• horror-struck
• shy
• anxious
• nervous
• jumpy
• funky
• panic-stricken
• skittish
• cowed
• startled
• uneasy
• dismayed
• intimidated
• appalled
• wary
• daunted
• unnerved
• pusillanimous
• craven
• cautious
• cowardly
• coward
• careful
• gutless
• heedful
• unadventurous
• prudent
• lily-livered

Dissimilar Words

• fearless
• unafraid
• daring
• dashing
• plucky
• bold
• adventurous
• brave
• spirited
• venturesome
• composed
• heroic
• hardy
• audacious
• valiant
• stalwart
• spunky
• collected
• courageous
• gutsy
• unperturbed
• intrepid
• gallant
• sure
• stout
• confident
• sanguine
• cool
• daredevil
• valorous
• adventuresome
• assured
• venturous
• resolute
• undaunted
• manful
• dauntless
• lionhearted
• stouthearted

shrinking

2 of 3

noun

1

as in revulsion

Related Words

• revulsion
• recoil
• withdrawal
• retirement
• disengagement
• rout
• flinch
• recession
• retreat
• pullout
• pullback
• disentanglement

Dissimilar Words

• advance
• advancement

2

as in diminishing

Related Words

• diminishing
• reducing
• decreasing
• shortening
• contraction
• compression
• lessening
• curtailment
• abbreviation
• abridgment
• condensation
• abruptness
• shortness
• brusqueness
• curtness
• tautness
• crispness
• brevity
• succinctness
• terseness
• conciseness
• smallness
• briefness
• compendiousness
• laconism
• minuteness
• pithiness
• tininess
• littleness

Dissimilar Words

• stretching
• extending
• growth
• extension
• elongation
• expansion
• extensiveness
• elongating
• lengthiness
• prolongation
• prolonging
• spread
• protraction
• diffuseness
• bigness
• greatness
• prolixity
• volubility
• garrulousness
• largeness
• talkativeness
• bulkiness
• wordiness
• verboseness
• talkiness
• long-windedness
• heftiness

shrinking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of shrink

1

as in compressing

to become smaller in size or volume through the drawing together of particles of matter

the sweater will shrink a little when washed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• compressing
• decreasing
• condensing
• constricting
• collapsing
• contracting
• flattening
• diminishing
• retreating
• dwindling
• withdrawing
• shriveling
• receding
• lessening
• drying up
• withering
• deflating
• wilting
• abating

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• expanding
• swelling
• increasing
• growing
• accumulating
• ballooning
• snowballing
• inflating
• puffing (up)
• ballooning

2

as in recoiling

to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust

shrinking back from the approaching flames

Synonyms & Similar Words

• recoiling
• flinching
• wincing
• cringing
• shuddering
• trembling
• hesitating
• blenching
• quivering
• quailing
• shaking
• retreating
• squinching
• quaking
• blanching
• withdrawing
• receding
• whitening
• crouching
• faltering
• paling
• twitching
• retiring
• jerking
• starting
• wavering
• reeling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• approaching
• advancing
• nearing
• facing
• confronting
• challenging
• defying
• bearding

3

as in decreasing

to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually

his crush on her is likely to shrink after they start their new lives on different college campuses

Synonyms & Similar Words

• decreasing
• diminishing
• subsiding
• declining
• falling
• vanishing
• easing
• dwindling
• ebbing
• receding
• waning
• tapering
• moderating
• lessening
• lowering
• weakening
• evaporating
• dropping (off)
• dying (away or down or out)
• draining (away)
• falling away
• tapering off
• relenting
• ratcheting (down)
• remitting
• abating
• collapsing
• compressing
• racheting (down)
• palling
• letting up
• phasing down
• contracting
• constricting
• de-escalating
• condensing
• melting (away)
• alleviating
• slackening
• fading (away)
• slowing (down)
• relaxing
• frittering (away)
• tailing (off)
• petering (out)
• giving out
• sinking
• flagging
• deflating
• caving (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increasing
• growing
• expanding
• rising
• building
• swelling
• enlarging
• mounting
• intensifying
• accumulating
• burgeoning
• escalating
• soaring
• emerging
• appearing
• picking up
• mushrooming
• ballooning
• waxing
• snowballing
• lengthening
• showing up
• blowing up
• elongating
• distending

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shrinking

Adjective

As a shrinking-violet housewife who comes alive under the magic of live theater in The Debut, Moore was the toast of Telluride, to the point where screenings of the film regularly received mid-movie applause breaks. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

Re-wash and dry the garment, using these tips to avoid re-shrinking, to prevent a residue from the conditioner from setting. — Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026

Noun

The shrinking and eventual loss of all of these glaciers will affect ecosystems across the West, as well as waterways humans and wildlife rely on. — Andrew Fountain, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026

And this week, our story about the dwindling water levels in Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest reservoir, shows breathtaking expanses of dry canyon plunging to a shrinking, narrow ribbon of teal green. — Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026

Hot water can cause shrinking, fraying, and pilling, which shortens the lifespan of your towels. — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026

If the tag recommends dry cleaning, washing in cold water in the washing machine, or tumble-drying on medium heat in the dryer, follow those instructions to avoid fading, shrinking, tearing, or otherwise compromising your duvet. — Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026

Doubt and conflict flows through not just her searching eyes but also, in this case, a shrinking, defensive posture. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026

The researchers think that the extremity of this shrinking has gone unnoticed previously because bombardment from space rocks over time has created craters that obscured the evidence of this process. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Before-and-after satellite images show a glacier shrinking and a river swelling. — Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026

Progressive shrinking of specific regions of the brain, as well as accumulation of harmful proteins in the brain are associated with dementia. — Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 27 Aug. 2026

Verb

Governments are tapping their emergency oil faster than ever, and the room to keep doing so is shrinking. — Heather Occhino, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026

The top prize there was awarded to The Lake, directed by Abby Ellis, a film exploring the environmental catastrophe posed by the rapidly shrinking Great Salt Lake in Utah. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 11 Oct. 2026

Parental opposition, restrictive policies, stigma and the fear of being seen at a clinic can stand between girls and contraception, even as governments try to compensate for shrinking foreign aid. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

Focusing on something introspective, such as breath, heartbeat or a growing and shrinking dot, can induce a near-hypnotic state that clears the mind. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026

Focusing on something introspective, like your breath, your heartbeat or a growing and shrinking dot, can induce an almost hypnotic state that clears the mind. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026

But Moody’s says the fiscal pressures from aging emerge long before populations actually start shrinking. — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026

Part of the reason for his town’s interest, Brule said, is the need to make up for shrinking tax revenues from Millstone, which experienced a decline in property values following deregulation. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

Transactions like these have contributed to pharmacy deserts and shrinking pharmacy choice. — John Mildenberger, STAT, 2 Oct. 2026

Phrases Containing shrinking

• shrinking violet