# shrinking

Pronunciation: say "SHRINK-ing" /ˈʃɹɪŋkɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of shrink. — present participle and gerund of shrink
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of shrink. Use this form for an action happening now or for the name of the process.
   - _The glacier has been shrinking steadily for several decades._
   - _Shrinking budgets forced the department to cancel two programs._

## Noun

2. The act of becoming smaller, or of drawing back timidly from something.
   - Simple: The act of getting smaller, or of pulling back in a shy or fearful way.
   - _The shrinking of the ice caps is measured by satellite each year._
   - _His constant shrinking from responsibility frustrated his colleagues._

## Adjective

3. Shy and inclined to keep away from notice or attention.
   - Simple: Very shy and wanting to stay away from other people.
   - _Her shrinking manner made it hard for her to speak up in meetings._
   - _A shrinking newcomer, he avoided eye contact with everyone in the office._

## Origin

Formed from the verb "shrink" with the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/shrinking (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).