痩せ細る

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: Written 痩せ細る and read やせほそる, it means becoming gaunt, thin, and visibly weakened.
• Basic usage: It is used after serious illness and for seedlings withering in drought.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Stronger than ordinary weight loss
  • The change implies loss of vigor, not a healthy reduction.