Meaning & use
see a shrink
Last updated
UK/ˌsiː ə ˈʃrɪŋk/
US/ˌsiː ə ˈʃrɪŋk/
Meaning
phraseidiominformal
To go to a therapist or psychiatrist for mental health treatment.
Grammar: Fixed phrase; 'shrink' here is a slang noun for a therapist.
Patterns
- see a shrink
- go see a shrink
- need to see a shrink
He's been seeing a shrink since his divorce.
Maybe you should see a shrink about your anxiety.
She jokes that she sees a shrink just to complain about her boss.
Common combinations
- see a shrink
- I think it's time you saw a shrink about those panic attacks.
- need to see a shrink
- After that week, I felt like I needed to see a shrink.
- go see a shrink
- He finally agreed to go see a shrink.
- seeing a shrink
- She's been seeing a shrink for months.
Synonyms and how they differ
- see a therapist
- This is the neutral, standard way to say it; 'see a shrink' is informal and can sound less respectful.
- get therapy
- More general and neutral; it does not use the slang 'shrink'.
- see a counselor
- A counselor may focus on practical advice rather than deep psychological treatment.
Word family
- shrink noun
- Informal, sometimes disapproving, word for a psychiatrist or therapist.
Commonly confused: see a shrink or shrink?
see a shrink vs shrink
'Shrink' alone can mean to become smaller; in this phrase it means a therapist.
Practice
After months of stress, Tom decided to ______ a shrink.
Choose one answer.
'See a shrink' is the fixed expression. 'Look' and 'watch' are about using your eyes, and 'visit' is possible but less idiomatic with 'shrink'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “see a shrink”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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