Definition

1. Verb:

   • To weaken: To become or make something become less strong, powerful, or effective. It describes a gradual reduction in force, health, or intensity.
   • To decline: To gradually move to a worse condition; to deteriorate, especially in terms of health, power, or vitality.

2. Adjective:

   • Weakened / Declining: In a state of having become less strong or robust. Used to describe the resulting condition.

Usage Examples

• Verb:

  • Sức khỏe của ông ấy bắt đầu suy yếu. (His health began to weaken.)
  • Cuộc tấn công đó đã suy yếu lực lượng đối phương. (That attack weakened the enemy's forces.)
  • Ảnh hưởng của triều đại đó suy yếu dần. (The influence of that dynasty gradually declined.)

• Adjective:

  • Một nền kinh tế suy yếu cần sự hỗ trợ. (A weakened economy needs support.)
  • Họ phải bảo vệ những thành viên suy yếu trong cộng đồng. (They must protect the vulnerable/weakened members of the community.)

Advanced Usage

• "suy yếu tinh thần": to experience a decline in morale or mental strength.

  • Những thất bại liên tiếp khiến tinh thần đội bóng suy yếu. (Consecutive failures caused the team's morale to weaken.)

• "suy yếu bẩm sinh": congenital debility/weakness.

  • Đứa trẻ mắc chứng suy yếu bẩm sinh. (The child suffers from congenital debility.)

Variants and Related Words

• Suy giảm (v): to diminish, to decrease (often used for abstract things like quality, value, or numbers).

  • Chất lượng không khí đang suy giảm. (Air quality is diminishing.)

• Suy nhược (v/adj): to be debilitated, to be in a state of exhaustion or prostration (often more severe, especially for health).

  • Bệnh nhân bị suy nhược cơ thể sau ca phẫu thuật. (The patient was physically debilitated after the surgery.)

Synonyms

• Weaken: to make or become weaker.
• Decline: to become smaller, fewer, or less; to deteriorate.
• Debilitate: to make someone weak and infirm.
• Deteriorate: to become progressively worse.

Related Idioms

• Suy yếu sinh lực: to have one's vitality sapped/weakened.

  • Công việc căng thẳng khiến anh ta suy yếu sinh lực. (The stressful job caused his vitality to weaken.)

• Suy yếu dần: to decline/wane gradually.

  • Quyền lực của hắn suy yếu dần theo năm tháng. (His power waned gradually over the years.)

verb

1. to weaken, to decline