Definitions
About
The character 衰 is built around the clothing radical 衣 (yī), which is split into top and bottom parts to enclose the inner component 冉 (rǎn), serving as both a phonetic and semantic element. Originally, it referred to mourning garments made of coarse, unhemmed hemp, a meaning preserved in the pronunciation "cuī" for specific historical mourning attire. The primary pronunciation "shuāi" later developed to express concepts of decline, weakening, fading, or deterioration. This semantic shift likely stems from the association between the rough, deteriorating nature of mourning clothes and a general loss of strength, vitality, or prosperity.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他的身体很衰弱。
经济正在衰退。
这个家族已经衰败了。
她的精力逐渐衰弱。
避免肌肉衰老很重要。
文化的衰微令人担忧。
历史上王朝的兴衰是常态。
科学家研究细胞衰老的过程。