Erschlafft

Erschlafft is a German verb meaning to become weak, to slacken, or to fade away. It can refer to physical strength or vitality, such as muscles or energy, and it is also used metaphorically for feelings, resolve, or influence that diminish. The term is relatively rare and tends to appear in literary, formal, or descriptive prose rather than in everyday speech. In many contexts, more common synonyms like nachlassen, absinken, or ermüden can be used, but erschlaffen conveys a sense of gradual weakening or drooping.

The verb is typically intransitive and used with a subject that experiences the weakening. The form is often found in the present tense, past tense, and perfect as follows: Präsens: ich erschlaffe, du erschlaffst, er erschlafft; Präteritum: ich erschlaffte, du erschlafftest, er erschlaffte; Partizip Perfekt: erschlafft; Infinitiv: erschlaffen; Partizip I: erschlaffend. The perfect tense is usually formed with sein: Die Kräfte sind erschlafft. This reflects a change of state rather than a transitive action passed onto an object.

The noun counterpart is Erschlaffung, meaning weakening or slackening, and it is used in medical, physiological, or literary contexts to describe a decline in strength or vitality. Related expressions emphasize decline or fading, rather than abrupt loss of strength.

Example sentences: Die Kräfte erschlaffen im Verlauf des langen Tages. Die Hoffnung erschlafft, sobald neue Verzögerungen auftreten. In medical texts, man spricht von einer Erschlaffung der Muskulatur, wenn die Spannung nachlässt.