Meaning
衰弱 describes a state of physical or mental weakness, decline, or deterioration. It can refer to a person's health declining, a nation's power weakening, or any organism or system losing strength and vitality. The word emphasizes a gradual process of becoming weaker rather than sudden weakness.
Usage
衰弱 is commonly used in medical, formal, or literary contexts to describe declining health or vitality. It can describe people (especially the elderly or ill), nations, economies, or organizations. While it can function as both an adjective and a verb, it's more formal than casual speech alternatives like 虚弱 (xū ruò) for everyday weakness.
Examples
- 01他长期患病，身体变得非常衰弱。, .He has been ill for a long time, and his body has become very weak.
- 02这个帝国在经历了多年战争后逐渐衰弱。.This empire gradually weakened after experiencing many years of war.
Characters
Common collocations
- 身体衰弱physically weak
- 日益衰弱increasingly weak
- 衰弱不堪extremely weak, in very poor condition
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters reinforce the meaning of decline and weakness. 衰 originally depicted a funeral garment, symbolizing decline and decay, while 弱 shows a bow with slack strings, representing lack of strength.