Learn English – Ways to say ‘get smaller’, ‘decrease in size’ in one word

usageverb usageword-requestword-usage

What are the proper ways to say that something gets smaller (decreases in size) in one word?

I am not asking about cases when what we discribe represents a measure of something (price, volume, weight, height). In those cases I know that it is correct to say, for example

  • The price decreases
  • The volume reduces

I am asking about cases when real material things get smaller.

For example,

  • A baloon gets smaller (deflates)
  • An apple gets smaller (when somebody eats it)

The goal is to replace 'gets smaller' with one word (verb).

Can I in these cases use words such as 'decrease', 'reduce' without adding 'in size'?

What are the most commonly used words or phrases?

Best Answer

I think you may be looking for the verb "to shrink".

The balloon shrinks/shrank/will shrink/has shrunk/is shrinking etc.

I wouldn't use that about something that's actually having bits taken out of it, though, because it tends to suggest getting smaller while retaining largely the same shape - or at least changing shape in some smooth, continuous way.

Reduce can be used without 'in size' for some things, and would often be used as such as about prices. Also about swellings, thrombosed haematomas, and various other things.

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