The Chinese word **萎缩 (wěisuō)** is a compound word formed by combining two characters with related meanings: **萎**, which means "to wither," "to decline," or "to droop" (often used for plants), and **缩**, which means "to contract," "to shrink," or "to pull back." Together, they create a synergistic meaning that is more specific than either character alone, describing a process of simultaneous degeneration and reduction in size, vitality, or scope. It is used literally, as in the atrophy of muscles or the wilting of plants, and figuratively, to describe economic recessions, market contractions, or the decline of influence. The formation follows a common pattern in Chinese where two synonyms or near-synonyms are paired to reinforce and nuance a single concept.