下垂 (xià chuí) is a verb meaning 'to sag', 'to droop', or 'to descend under gravity'. It combines 下 (xià, 'down') and 垂 (chuí, 'to hang down' or 'to dangle'), forming a compound that emphasizes a natural, often gradual downward movement or position due to weight, weakness, or relaxation. The word carries a neutral-to-slightly clinical tone and is commonly used in medical contexts—such as describing organ displacement (e.g., gastric ptosis) or muscle weakness—as well as in everyday descriptions of physical features like eyelids, ears, or plant stems.

While it can describe intentional lowering (e.g., lowering one’s head), it more frequently implies an involuntary or passive descent—often suggesting laxity, aging, fatigue, or anatomical abnormality. Unlike simple directional verbs like 放下 (fàng xià, 'to put down'), 下垂 focuses on the resulting hanging or sagging state rather than the action itself. It is typically used with nouns indicating body parts, organs, or flexible objects, and often appears after descriptive adverbs like 明显地 ('obviously') or 轻微地 ('slightly').