Atrophy    (pronounced at-ruh-fee) noun and verb


Definition

(noun) 1. a wasting away or decrease in size of a body tissue or organ because of injury, lack of nutrition, etc. 2. a steady decline in effectiveness or strength because of neglect; gradual loss of vitality or force resulting from cessation of use or practice.


Other Forms

Atrophied (pronounced at-ruh-feed) adjective

Main Example

  • Video games have long been criticized as contributing to the atrophy of our teenagers' intellect and imagination. So the entertainment industry must have been overjoyed by the University of Rochester's recent findings that young adults who regularly play action-based video games demonstrate better visual skills than those who don't!

    Workplace Examples

  • You are such an extraordinary analyst, I just hope that in your new assignment, which mostly involves writing PR pieces, you won't let your analytical and decision making skills atrophy.

  • What surprises me is how little has been accomplished by Walt's area. After all, it is not some dwindling, atrophied little department. They are packed with tremendously experienced and talented people!

    Other Examples

  • your jokingly saying: "Come on Linda, if we provide templates for everything and leave no scope for improvising, it'll be an awful work environment. Employees' creative abilities, and even their very brains, will just atrophy!"

  • employees complaining about atrophied leadership in their company

  • amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, which causes progressive atrophy of body muscle and eventual death

  • before the war in Iraq, many fearing that the deep divisions between America and Western Europe will lead to the atrophying of the NATO alliance

    © 2003 V.J. Singal

    This Month's Other Words

    Putative
    Apostasy and Apostate
    Obfuscate
    Unfettered
    Antithesis
    Proclivity
    Vociferous

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