荒れる

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 荒れる is read あれる and means becoming rough or deteriorating through neglect.
• Basic usage: It is used both for seas turning rough and for an untended field becoming overgrown or neglected.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Compared with 荒らす
  • 海が荒れる and 畑が荒れてしまう describe changes in the condition of the sea or field itself. 荒らす(あらす) is a transitive verb for disturbing or damaging a place or similar object.