verb HSK 5
to fade away · to subside · to die down · to recede
Meaning
消退 describes the gradual diminishing or fading away of something, often used for physical phenomena like swelling, pain, or colors, as well as abstract things like emotions or memories. It emphasizes a slow, natural process of disappearing or weakening over time.
Usage
Commonly used in medical contexts (symptoms subsiding), natural phenomena (tides receding, storms dying down), and emotional states (anger fading). More formal than 减少 and specifically implies something disappearing rather than just decreasing. Often paired with 慢慢 (slowly) to emphasize the gradual nature.
Examples
- 01服药后，他的疼痛慢慢消退了。, .After taking the medicine, his pain gradually subsided.
- 02洪水消退后，村民们开始重建家园。, .After the floodwaters receded, the villagers began rebuilding their homes.
Characters
Common collocations
- 消退症状symptoms subside
- 慢慢消退gradually fade away
- 肿胀消退swelling subsides
- 记忆消退memory fades
Antonyms
Origin
Combines 消 (to disappear) and 退 (to retreat), both reinforcing the meaning of gradual withdrawal or fading away.