shrunken

American  

[shruhng-kuhn] / ˈʃrʌŋ kən /

verb

1. a past participle of shrink.

---

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

---

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

Buffett liked the monopoly status of newspapers, which has been largely destroyed over the past 20 years, leaving the industry greatly shrunken and far less profitable.

From Barron's

Andre punches the information into his phone and guides us to a building that looks like a shrunken medieval castle.

From Literature

I knew it was an applehead doll, but it reminded me of the shrunken head I’d seen in my exploring book.

From Literature

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