萎缩 wěisuō to wither
to wither; to dry up (of a plant); to atrophy (of muscle, social custom etc)
How to remember 萎缩: 萎 to wither + 缩 to withdraw = to wither.
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How it is used
- Covers both physical shrinking and figurative contraction - 肌肉萎缩 (jīròu wěisuō) muscle atrophy; 市场萎缩 (shìchǎng wěisuō) the market is shrinking.
- For economies/demand it's the standard verb for shrinkage; contrast 萧条 (xiāotiáo), which describes a bleak, depressed *state* rather than the process of contracting.
- Note the reading: 萎 is wěi here (some dictionaries list wēi), so the word is wěisuō.