Slump vs Shrink - What's the difference?

As verbs the difference between slump and shrink

is that slump is (lb) to collapse heavily or helplessly while shrink is to cause to become smaller.

As nouns the difference between slump and shrink

is that slump is a heavy or helpless collapse; a slouching or drooping posture; a period of poor activity or performance, especially an extended period while shrink is shrinkage; contraction; recoil.

slump

English

Verb

(lb) To collapse heavily or helplessly.

*:“Heavens!” exclaimed Nina, “the blue-stocking and the fogy!—and yours are'' pale blue, Eileen!—you’re about as self-conscious as Drina—slumping there with your hair tumbling ''à la Mérode! Oh, it's very picturesque, of course, but a straight spine and good grooming is better.”

(lb) To decline or fall off in activity or performance.

* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 29, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport

, title= Chelsea 3-5 Arsenal , passage=The Gunners captain demonstrated his importance to the team by taking his tally to an outstanding 28 goals in 27 Premier League games as Chelsea slumped again after their shock defeat at QPR last week.}}

(lb) To slouch or droop.

(lb) To lump; to throw together messily.

* (1788-1856)

These different groupsare exclusively slumped together under that sense.

To fall or sink suddenly through or in, when walking on a surface, as on thawing snow or ice, a bog, etc.

* (Isaac Barrow) (1630-1677)

The latter walk on a bottomless quag, into which unawares they may slump .

Noun

(en noun)

A heavy or helpless collapse; a slouching or drooping posture; a period of poor activity or performance, especially an extended period.

(Scotland, UK, dialect) A boggy place.

(Scotland) The noise made by anything falling into a hole, or into a soft, miry place.

(Scotland) The gross amount; the mass; the lump.

Derived terms

* slumplike

Anagrams

* * ----

shrink

English

Verb

To cause to become smaller.

The dryer shrank my sweater.

To become smaller; to contract.

This garment will shrink when wet.

* Francis Bacon

I have not found that water, by mixture of ashes, will shrink or draw into less room.

* Dryden

And shrink like parchment in consuming fire.

To cower or flinch.

Molly shrank away from the blows of the whip.

To draw back; to withdraw.

* Milton

The Libya Hammon shrinks his horn.

(figuratively) To withdraw or retire, as from danger.

* Alexander Pope

What happier natures shrink at with affright, / The hard inhabitant contends is right.

* Jowett (Thucyd.)

They assisted us against the Thebans when you shrank from the task.

Synonyms

* (avoid an unwanted task) funk, shirk

Antonyms

* (to cause to become smaller) expand, grow, enlarge, stretch * (become smaller) expand, grow, enlarge, stretch

Noun

(en noun)

shrinkage; contraction; recoil

Yet almost wish, with sudden shrink , / That I had less to praise. — Leigh Hunt.

(slang, sometimes, pejorative) A psychiatrist or therapist; a head-shrinker.

You need to see a shrink .

My shrink said that he was an enabler, bad for me.

* 1994 , (Green Day),

I went to a shrink , to analyze my dreams. He said it's lack of sex that's bringing my down.''

Usage notes

* The slang sense was originally pejorative, expressing a distrust of practitioners in the field. It is now not as belittling or trivializing.

Synonyms

* head-shrinker