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Shriveled vs Shrunk - What's the difference?

shriveled | shrunk |

As verbs the difference between shriveled and shrunk

is that shriveled is (shrivel) while shrunk is (shrink).

As an adjective shriveled

is wrinkled because the volume has reduced while the surface area of the outer layer has remained constant.

shriveled

English

Alternative forms

* shrivelled (UK)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Wrinkled because the volume has reduced while the surface area of the outer layer has remained constant.
    • A prune is a shriveled plum.
  • Collapsed in size.

    • Verb

    (head)
  • (shrivel)

    • Related terms

    * shrivel up

    shrunk

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (shrink)

    • Usage notes

    In casual use, found even in careful speech, interchangeable with shrank; in careful formal use, only used for past participle "I have'' shrunk ", while ''shrank is used for the past tense "I shrank". Compare sank/sunk. The inconsistent usage is due to the fact that shrink is a (Germanic strong verb), hence conjugated via ablaut (change of vowel rather than adding ), but these are irregular in modern English. The past tense "shrunk" is derived from the Old English plural past "scruncon". The same form is found in other past tenses, such as "slunk". The 1989 movie '' (formally: ''Honey, I Shrank the Kids'' or ''Honey, I've Shrunk the Kids ) is an example of the prevalence of the casual form. Note that in the 1844 translation of the , the form "shrank" is used in IV Maccabees 14:4] ("None of the seven youths turned cowardly, or shrank back from death", singular subject), whereas "shrunk" is used in [http://ebible.org/eng-Brenton/1MA03.htm I Maccabees 3:6 ("Wherefore the wicked shrunk for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled, because salvation prospered in his hand", plural subject). The preferred form when used adjectivally is "shrunken".

    Usage notes

    * " shrunk/shrank", Paul Brians * " ON LANGUAGE; How 'Shrunk' Snuck In", by (William Safire), July 16, 1995, New York Times