1.
to die by the roadside; to die a miserable death in the gutter
To die alone and uncared-for outdoors, with no one to help. Often used figuratively to warn of or express fear about an impoverished, lonely end.
このままでは野垂れ死んでしまう。
At this rate, I'll die in the gutter.
金もなく家もなく、野垂れ死ぬかと思った。
With no money and no home, I thought I'd die in the streets.
戦に負けた兵士たちは食べ物もなく、多くが野垂れ死んだ。
The defeated soldiers had no food, and many died miserably by the wayside.
野垂れ死ぬ is an intransitive godan verb (conjugates: 野垂れ死なない, 野垂れ死んで, 野垂れ死んだ).
USAGE: This is a vivid, emotionally charged expression. It is most often used figuratively or hyperbolically to express fear of destitution or to describe someone's miserable fate. In historical contexts, it can be literal.
ASPECT (ている):
Rarely used in ている form since it describes the moment of death.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 野垂れ死にする: to die a miserable death (noun + する form)
- 野垂れ死に: death in the streets (noun form)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 野垂れ死ぬ: to die alone outdoors in misery
- 行き倒れる: to collapse on the road (may or may not die)
- 餓死する: to starve to death