Shrunken for Dummies

Shrunken is a word that describes something that has become smaller in size or dimension. So, imagine you have a piece of clothing, like a sweater, and you accidentally put it in the washing machine with hot water instead of cold water. You know what happens? The sweater might come out looking much smaller than it was before. It's like it got all scrunched up and shrank in size. That's exactly what being shrunken means.

But wait, that's not all! Shrunken can also be used to describe a person or an animal who looks smaller because they are really sick, weak, or malnourished. Just think about when you catch a nasty flu, and you feel so weak and tiny, like a little mouse compared to your usual energetic self. Your body feels almost shrunken because it lacks its usual strength and vitality.

Now, let me tell you a story to help you understand this word a bit better. Imagine you have a big, juicy apple. Oh, it looks delicious! But suddenly, you leave it out in the sun for days without paying any attention to it. Slowly, that once fresh, vibrant apple starts to change. It becomes wrinkly, all shriveled up, and smaller in size. It's like it has shrunken, losing its plumpness and grandeur. It's no longer the same juicy apple you first saw.

So, when we say something has shrunken, it means it has gotten smaller, whether it's a physical object like your favorite sweater or a living being like a weak and malnourished person. It's like the thing in question has lost some of its original size, making it appear smaller and less impressive. Now you understand what "shrunken" means, right?