Definition
萎缩 (wěi suō) means 'to wither, shrink, or atrophy' — used for plants drying up, body parts degenerating, or industries/economies declining. It overlaps with 枯萎 (kū wěi, withered/dried up, only for plants) and 退化 (tuì huà, degenerate/atrophy, focusing on loss of function over time); 萎缩 is broader, covering both physical withering and figurative contraction.
verb
to witherto dry up (of plants)to atrophyto shrink (of muscles, customs, industries, etc.)
Easily confused
- 畏缩wèi suōsound-aliketo cower, to flinch, to recoil (from fear or hesitation)
Examples
- 萎缩。Zhè kē huā yīn wèi quē shuǐ ér wěi suō le.This flower withered from lack of water.
- 萎缩。Tā de tuǐ bù jīròu kāishǐ wěi suō le.The muscles in his legs began to atrophy.
- 萎缩。Chuántǒng nóngyè zhèngzài bùduàn wěi suō.Traditional agriculture is continuously shrinking.
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