衰弱

• Reading: すいじゃく
• Romaji: suijaku
• Kanji breakdown: 衰 (sui) — decline, weaken; 弱 (jaku) — weak, feeble
• Pronunciation: /sɯi.dʑa.kɯ/

Meaning

Debility; weakness; enfeeblement; decline. A state of severe physical or mental weakening, often from illness or prolonged hardship.

A noun (also used as a suru-verb: 衰弱する) describing progressive deterioration of bodily or mental strength. Commonly appears in medical contexts with qualifiers such as 著しく (markedly), 急激に (rapidly), or 極度に (to the extreme). Distinct from 疲労 (fatigue) in that it implies a more serious, lasting diminishment.

Examples

1. 長期入院で体が衰弱し、立ち上がるのも困難になった。 After a long hospitalization, his body became so debilitated that even standing up was difficult.
2. 食欲不振が続き、著しく衰弱している患者が搬送された。 A patient who had been suffering from prolonged loss of appetite and was severely weakened was brought in by ambulance.
3. 高齢者が感染症にかかると急激に衰弱することがある。 When elderly people contract an infectious disease, they can deteriorate rapidly.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, elderly care, critical care, healthcare

Tone: clinical, serious

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound: 衰 (sui) means to decline or weaken, and 弱 (jaku) means weak or feeble. Both characters reinforce the sense of failing strength, and the compound has been used in classical Chinese medical texts.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical-Modern

Generation: Adult

Social background: Universal