noun
- the gradual decline or wasting away of something, especially body tissue or an organ due to lack of use or disease
- the gradual decline or loss of effectiveness of something
Usage: medical
verb
- to gradually waste away or become weaker
Examples
- Muscle atrophy occurs when muscles are not used regularly.
- The patient’s leg showed signs of atrophy after months in a cast.
- Without practice, his piano skills began to atrophy.
- The company suffered from organizational atrophy due to poor management.
- Her unused arm muscles started to atrophy.
- The town’s economy continued to atrophy as businesses closed.
- Brain atrophy can result from certain neurological conditions.