Atrophy: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Atrophy verb. To waste away or weaken, especially through lack of use.
How to say it
AT-ruh-fee/ˈatrəfi/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (AT). Forms: atrophied.
Atrophy in a sentence
After six weeks in a cast, the muscles in his leg had atrophied.
A language you never speak will slowly atrophy.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- wither
- waste away
- weaken
- decline
Opposite:
- strengthen
- flourish
Where atrophy comes from
From Greek atrophia, lack of nourishment, from a-, without, and trophē, food.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
A language you never speak will slowly _____.
- prescribe
- atrophy
- convalesce
Show the answer
atrophy: A language you never speak will slowly atrophy.