Tuesday, July 21, 2015

a trophy, atrophy

A trophy or a trophy ( two words ) means one ( a ) award or prize, usually commemorating a victory of some kind, literal or figurative ( trophy )--
He won a trophy for having the highest batting average.
The mounted deer's head is a trophy from a hunting trip.
He displays his expensive car like a trophy.

Atrophy or atrophy ( one word ) means debiliation caused by lack of use; to decline or waste away, literally or figuratively--
He has been diagnosed with atrophy of the heart.
If he doesn't move around every day, his muscles may atrophy.
Political consciousness can atrophy through lack of use, as a body part does.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"When you see him now, suffering from atrophy of the muscles, it's hard to believe he once won a trophy for best athlete."

No comments:

Post a Comment