萎缩

萎縮

wěisuō

verb HSK 7-9 #14,518

Meanings

1 to wither; to shrivel
2 to atrophy (muscle, organ)
3 to shrink; to contract (economy, market)

Characters

to wilt; to wither

to shrink; to contract

Examples

长期不运动，肌肉会萎缩。

Chángqī bú yùndòng, jīròu huì wěisuō.

If you don't exercise for a long time, your muscles will atrophy.

经济萎缩导致了大量失业。

Jīngjì wěisuō dǎozhì le dàliàng shīyè.

Economic contraction led to massive unemployment.

Tips

usage

Used across three domains: botanical (plants withering), medical (muscle/organ atrophy), and economic (market contraction). The economic use is especially common in news.

Stroke Order

萎 wěi

缩 suō