atrophy

[ a-truh-fee ]

/ ˈæ trə fi /

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See synonyms for: atrophy / atrophied / atrophying on Thesaurus.com

noun

Also a·tro·phi·a

[uh-troh-fee-uh]. /əˈtroʊ fi ə/. Pathology. a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage.

degeneration, decline, or decrease, as from disuse: He argued that there was a progressive atrophy of freedom and independence of thought.

verb (used with or without object), at·ro·phied, at·ro·phy·ing.

to affect with or undergo atrophy.

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Origin of atrophy

1590–1600; earlier atrophie (<Middle French ) <Late Latin atrophia<Greek, equivalent to átroph(os) not fed (see a-⁶, tropho-) + -ia-ia

OTHER WORDS FROM atrophy

a·troph·ic

[uh-trof-ik, uh-troh-fik], /əˈtrɒf ɪk, əˈtroʊ fɪk/, adjectivenon·a·troph·ic, adjective

Words nearby atrophy

atrocious assault and battery, atrocity, à trois, atrophic rhinitis, atrophied, atrophy, atropine, atropism, Atropos, atry, ATS

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use atrophy in a sentence

Zolgensma—which treats spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic disease that damages nerve cells, leading to muscle decay—is currently the most expensive drug in the world.
Gene Therapies Are Almost Here, But Healthcare Isn’t Ready for Sky-High Prices|Kevin Doxzen|September 7, 2021|Singularity Hub
Their bodies begin to atrophy from malnourishment, and daily tasks like getting water or checking traps become much more of a struggle.
How the Reality Show ‘Alone’ Got Me Through the Pandemic|aweinberg|July 28, 2021|Outside Online
Their weakness and pallor and mental atrophy and irregular heartbeats were in his mind akin to the etiolation of plants deprived of sunlight.
The Antarctic Expedition That Changed Modern Medicine|Julian Sancton|May 12, 2021|Time
Those skills often remain undeveloped in modern societies because we can compensate for their atrophy through sophisticated technology.
Has technology made us worse hunters?|By Henry Bunn/Outdoor Life|October 27, 2020|Popular-Science

The atrophy in my legs is terrible from taking so much time off, so it will be a tough recovery.
How to Suck Less at … Skateboarding|Eugene Robinson|October 19, 2020|Ozy
If pilots are not flying, their skills atrophy and that could put their lives in danger.
Navy Grounds Top Guns|Dave Majumdar|October 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still, the atrophy continued, as did the collapse of Vatican-backed dictatorships in Portugal, Spain and Latin America.
Father Ted: Comedy as Liberation|Tom Doran|March 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He was born with spinal muscular atrophy, which kills 50 percent of the babies diagnosed with it before the age of 2.
‘Miracle Boy Grows Up’: Ben Mattlin Speaks to Jay McInerney|Jay McInerney|December 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Five-month-old Avery Lynn Canahuati died Monday of complications from spinal muscular atrophy.
‘Bucket List’ Baby Avery Canahuati: Facts About Spinal Muscular Atrophy|Andrew Carter|May 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It hinders the immune system, causes insomnia, and speeds the atrophy of the brain, to name a few.
How to Live Forever|Casey Schwartz|July 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST
But a prolonged use of the visual mechanism tends to hypertrophy—or atrophy, as the eyes of deep-sea fishes show.
Criminal Psychology|Hans Gross
And to one of his class, there are many forces ever present to atrophy such simple, wholesome power of loving.
Within the Law|Marvin Dana
We may therefore conclude that its atrophy, like its development, takes place from before backwards.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1|Francis Maitland Balfour
In stage L it is still fairly large in the tail, though it has begun to atrophy anteriorly.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1|Francis Maitland Balfour
It is less developed than before, but is still present up to the period of the atrophy of the head-kidney.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1|Francis Maitland Balfour

British Dictionary definitions for atrophy

atrophy

/ (ˈætrəfɪ) /

noun plural -phies

a wasting away of an organ or part, or a failure to grow to normal size as the result of disease, faulty nutrition, etc

any degeneration or diminution, esp through lack of use

verb -phies, -phying or -phied

to waste away or cause to waste away

Derived forms of atrophy

atrophic (əˈtrɒfɪk), adjective

Word Origin for atrophy

C17: from Late Latin atrophia, from Greek, from atrophos ill-fed, from a- 1 + -trophos from trephein to feed

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for atrophy

atrophy

[ ăt′rə-fē ]

A wasting or decrease in the size of an organ or tissue, as from death and reabsorption of cells, diminished proliferation of cells, pressure, lack of oxygen, malnutrition, decreased function, or hormonal changes.

Cultural definitions for atrophy

atrophy

[ (at-ruh-fee) ]

The wasting away or decrease in size of an organ or tissue in the body. When a body part is affected by paralysis, the muscles may atrophy through lack of use.

notes for atrophy

The term is also used in a more general way to refer to a wasting process: “Since he stopped playing, his piano skills have atrophied.”

atrophy

Origin of atrophy

OTHER WORDS FROM atrophy

Words nearby atrophy

Words related to atrophy

How to use atrophy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for atrophy

Derived forms of atrophy

Word Origin for atrophy

Scientific definitions for atrophy

Cultural definitions for atrophy

notes for atrophy