Meaning
凋零 describes the process of plants losing their vitality, withering, and having their leaves or petals fall off. It carries a melancholy, poetic tone and is commonly extended metaphorically to describe people, communities, or things declining, fading, or passing away, especially in literary contexts.
Usage
This word has a literary, somewhat sorrowful flavor and is often used in written Chinese or formal speech. It frequently appears in poetry, essays, and literary descriptions of nature or the passage of time. While it literally refers to plants, it's commonly used metaphorically to describe human decline, aging, death, or the deterioration of once-prosperous things.
Examples
- 01秋风吹过，树叶渐渐凋零。, .The autumn wind blows past, and the leaves gradually wither and fall.
- 02这个曾经繁荣的村庄如今已经凋零。.This once prosperous village has now declined and faded away.
Characters
Common collocations
- 花朵凋零flowers wither and fall
- 生命凋零life fades away
- 逐渐凋零gradually wither away
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters relate to decline and falling. 凋 originally depicted ice (冫) and a bird (周), suggesting something frozen or lifeless. 零 originally meant rainfall or things falling like rain, later extended to mean scattered or fragmentary.