atrophy
- 01 C1 Advanced
n.the process where a body part, like a muscle, gets smaller and weaker because of illness or lack of movement.
n.the progressive degeneration or shrinkage of muscle or nerve tissue, typically resulting from disease or prolonged physical inactivity.
Simple“After six weeks in a cast, the muscles in his leg showed signs of atrophy.”
In context“The patient exhibited significant muscular atrophy in the lower limbs following several months of enforced bed rest.”
UsageOften used as an uncountable noun in medical contexts.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
n.the loss of a skill, ability, or power because you do not use it enough.
n.a gradual decline in effectiveness or vigour due to underuse or neglect.
Simple“The atrophy of his social skills was obvious after he spent a year living alone.”
In context“Critics argued that the constant use of calculators led to a general atrophy of basic mental arithmetic skills among students.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
v.to become weak or smaller because of lack of use.
v.to undergo the process of wasting away or becoming ineffective; to wither.
Simple“Without regular practice, your ability to speak a second language will slowly atrophy.”
In context“The political movement began to atrophy once its primary objectives were met and the leadership lost its sense of purpose.”
UsagePrimarily used as an intransitive verb.
Synonyms
“Weaken it too much with Botox and it stops ‘exercising’ – it can atrophy, and brows drop lower, earlier than they otherwise would.”
Borrowed from French atrophie, from Latin atrophia, from Ancient Greek ἀτροφία (atrophía, “a wasting away”), from ἄτροφος (átrophos, “ill-fed, un-nourished”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + τροφή (trophḗ, “nourishment”), from τρέφω (tréphō, “I fatten”). Equivalent to a- + -trophy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.