shrunken

American  

[shruhng-kuhn] / ˈʃrʌŋ kən /

verb

1. a past participle of shrink.

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adjective

1. contracted or lessened in size, extent, or scope.

   Many state agencies are operating with a shrunken workforce.

shrunken British  

/ ˈʃrʌŋkən /

verb

1. a past participle of shrink

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adjective

1. (usually prenominal) reduced in size

   a shrunken head

Other Word Forms

• unshrunken adjective

Etymology

Origin of shrunken

First recorded before 1000, for the adjective

Example Sentences

On top of a degraded infrastructure, it would have to contend with a shrunken military and new threats such as drones.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Babushkinovs,” she said, and tapped the top of the wrinkled, shrunken potato.

From Literature

But rebuilding agencies that have been radically shrunken would take much longer than cutting them down, the scholars said.

From Los Angeles Times

With the addition of Frankie Garcia as lead singer, Bobby and the Classics renamed themselves the Headhunters after a shrunken head that Jaramillo hung on the rearview mirror of his ’49 Chevy.

From Los Angeles Times

The individual beans, which resemble shrunken dates due to their wrinkly dark exterior, can also be microplaned to create a fine powder, according to a guide from Great British Chefs.

From Salon