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Atrophy vs Decrease - What's the difference?

atrophy | decrease |

In lang=en terms the difference between atrophy and decrease

is that atrophy is to cause to waste away or become abortive; to starve or weaken while decrease is to make (a quantity) smaller.

As nouns the difference between atrophy and decrease

is that atrophy is (pathology) a reduction in the functionality of an organ caused by disease, injury or lack of use while decrease is an amount by which a quantity is decreased.

As verbs the difference between atrophy and decrease

is that atrophy is to wither or waste away while decrease is of a quantity, to become smaller.

atrophy

English

(wikipedia atrophy)

Noun

(atrophies)
  • (pathology) A reduction in the functionality of an organ caused by disease, injury or lack of use.

    • Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To wither or waste away.
  • To cause to waste away or become abortive; to starve or weaken.

    • Antonyms

    * hypertrophy * strengthen

    Related terms

    * atrophic

    See also

    * hypotrophy

    decrease

    English

    Verb

    (decreas)
  • Of a quantity, to become smaller.
  • To make (a quantity) smaller.

    • Synonyms

    * (become smaller) drop, fall, go down, plummet (rapidly), plunge (rapidly), reduce, shrink, sink * (make smaller) abate, cut, decrement, lower, reduce

    Antonyms

    * (become larger) go up, grow, increase, rise, soar (rapidly), shoot up (rapidly) * (make larger) increase, increment, raise, up (informal)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An amount by which a quantity is decreased.
  • (knitting) A reduction in the number of stitches, usually accomplished by suspending the stitch to be decreased from another existing stitch or by knitting it together with another stitch. See .

    • Synonyms

    * (amount by which a quantity is decreased) cut, decrement, drop, fall, loss, lowering, reduction, shrinkage

    Antonyms

    * (amount by which a quantity is decreased) gain, increase, increment, raise , rise

    Anagrams

    * English ergative verbs English heteronyms 1000 English basic words