衰 (shuāi) - decline, wane, weaken, diminish & to decrease in strength or vitality

衰Tone 1

shuāi ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

衰 · shuāi

decline, wane, weaken, diminish;

to decrease in strength or vitality;

also refers to mourning garments in ancient times.

decline, wane, weaken, diminishto decrease in strength or vitalityalso refers to mourning garments in ancient times.

Usage highlights

decline and falleconomic recessionhealth deteriorationweakenagingdeclining years

Synonyms

  • 弱— weak
  • 退— retreat, decline
  • 减— decrease

Antonyms

  • 盛— flourishing, prosperous
  • 兴— rise, thrive
  • 强— strong

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The empire began to decline (衰亡).
  • His health is failing (健康衰退).
  • Economic recession (经济衰退).
  • Wearing mourning clothes (衰绖).

Collocations

  • decline and fall(衰亡)
  • economic recession(经济衰退)
  • health deterioration(健康衰退)
  • weaken(衰弱)
  • aging(衰老)
  • declining years(衰年)

Idioms

  • Rise and fall, prosperity and decline(盛衰兴废)
  • In decline and beyond recovery(衰败不堪)
  • The cycle of prosperity and decline(盛衰循环)
  • Weakened and exhausted(衰耗殆尽)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, 衰 represents the natural cycle of decline following prosperity, as seen in concepts like 盛衰 (prosperity and decline).
  • Historically, 衰 also referred to specific grades of mourning garments worn in ancient funeral rites, indicating degrees of kinship and social hierarchy.
  • The character embodies the philosophical concept of cyclical change, where peak conditions inevitably give way to decline, as reflected in various classical texts.

FAQ