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Shrink vs Wizen - What's the difference?

shrink | wizen |

As verbs the difference between shrink and wizen

is that shrink is to cause to become smaller while wizen is to wither; to become lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness.

As a noun shrink

is shrinkage; contraction; recoil.

As an adjective wizen is

wizened; withered; lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness.

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

    wizen

    English

    Alternative forms

    *wizzen

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • wizened; withered; lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness.
  • * 1864 , - Henry Dunbar by [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext05/7dunb10.txt]
    • His face was wizen and wrinkled, his faded blue eyes dim and weak-looking. He was feeble, and his hands were tremulous with a perpetual nervous motion.
  • * 1890 , - by Oscar Wilde [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext94/dgray10h.htm]
    • Yes, there would be a day when his face would be wrinkled and wizen , his eyes dim and colourless, the grace of his figure broken and deformed. The scarlet would pass away from his lips and the gold steal from his hair.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To wither; to become lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness.

    • Anagrams

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