Definitions
(verb)
to decline; to weaken; to deteriorate
(adjective)
unlucky; unfortunate
(noun)
mourning clothes
About
The character "衰" derives from an early conceptualization of a straw raincoat, a garment used for protection and in mourning rites, which is structurally centered on the clothing radical "衣" with additional markings suggesting the woven layers of such attire. Its original concrete meaning evolved through a natural metaphorical connection, as the physical wearing thin of the coarse material came to represent the broader idea of deterioration and loss of strength. This semantic shift moved the character's primary reference away from the object itself toward an abstract expression of gradual decline, weakening, or decay, which constitutes its core meaning in modern usage.
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。