消肿

消腫

xiāozhǒng

verb #30,845

Meanings

1 to reduce swelling
2 (figurative) to streamline (a bloated organization)
3 to cut bureaucratic bloat

Characters

to dissipate, eliminate

Examples

敷点冰可以帮助消肿。

Fū diǎn bīng kěyǐ bāngzhù xiāozhǒng.

Applying some ice can help reduce the swelling.

公司决定精简机构、消肿减员。

Gōngsī juédìng jīngjiǎn jīgòu, xiāozhǒng jiǎnyuán.

The company decided to streamline its structure and trim staff.

Tips

usage

Two flavors: medical (literal — ice packs, herbal poultices, post-surgery recovery) and political/managerial (figurative — "trim the bloated bureaucracy"). The figurative use often pairs with 减员 ("reduce staff") in news about reform.

Stroke Order

消 xiāo

肿 zhǒng