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If a part of the body atrophies, or is atrophied, it becomes smaller and weaker because it is not used, or because blood is not reaching it well. Muscle atrophies in a cast; a limb can atrophy after nerve damage.
If a part of the body atrophies, or is atrophied如果身體的某個部位 atrophies（萎縮），或是 is atrophied（被萎縮）, it becomes smaller and weaker意思是它變得更小、更虛弱, because it is not used, or because blood is not reaching it well因為沒有被使用，或是因為血液沒有好好流到那裡。Muscle atrophies in a cast肌肉打上石膏後會萎縮; a limb can atrophy after nerve damage神經受損後，肢體也可能萎縮。
Doctors also use it as a noun: muscle atrophy.
Doctors also use it as a noun醫生也會把它當名詞用: muscle atrophy像是 muscle atrophy（肌肉萎縮）。
People stretch it to skills and feelings: her French atrophied after she left the country; trust can atrophy. That stretch is common in essays and news — a little figurative, a little formal.
People stretch it to skills and feelings人們也會把它引申用在技能和情感上: her French atrophied after she left the country她離開那個國家之後，法語能力就退步了; trust can atrophy信任也可能會萎縮消退。That stretch is common in essays and news這種引申用法在文章和新聞裡很常見 — a little figurative, a little formal有點比喻性，也有點正式。
Waste away is the plainer cousin.
Waste away is the plainer cousinwaste away 是比較平白的近義詞。
Though actually, atrophy is not a sudden injury; it is a from lack of use or lack of supply. The usual verb is atrophy (it atrophies), not a made-up atrophize.
Though actually不過話說回來, atrophy is not a sudden injuryatrophy 不是突然發生的傷害; it is a fading from lack of use or lack of supply而是因為缺乏使用或缺乏供應而逐漸消退。The usual verb is atrophy (it atrophies)一般的動詞形式就是 atrophy（it atrophies）, not a made-up atrophize而不是自己造出來的 atrophize。
組成a- (not) + -trophy (nourishment) — 'not fed.' From Greek through Latin and French. The -trophy here is about feeding tissue, not about a sports trophy.
同家族的字
- hypertrophytissue growing too much — the same -trophy piece, the other direction
- dystrophya disorder of how tissue is nourished or grows, same -trophy piece
原始詞典資料3 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
atrophynoun/ˈæt.ɹə.fi/
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medicinepathologysciencesA reduction in the functionality of an organ caused by disease, injury or lack of use.
- Now that chatbots are going the way of Google—moving from the miraculous to the taken-for-granted—the anxiety has shifted, too, from apocalypse to atrophy. Teachers, especially, say they’re beginning to see the rot. The term for it is unlovely but not inapt: de-skilling.
atrophyverb/ˈæt.ɹə.fi/
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To wither or waste away.
- Boy. I love summer vacation. I can feel my brain beginning to atrophy already.
- The M10 highway looks normal enough at the southern limits of St. Petersburg, but then, with a jolt, it begins to atrophy. For the next 430 miles the surface of the highway, while paved, varies from corduroy to jaw-rattling patchwork.
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To cause to waste away or become abortive; to starve or weaken.
- Cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。