()せこける

やせこける
verb
to become gaunt; to be emaciated; to be skin and bones
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present()せこける()せこけない
Present polite()せこけます()せこけません
Past()せこけた()せこけなかった
Past polite()せこけました()せこけませんでした
て form()せこけて()せこけなくて
ている present()せこけている()せこけていない
ている polite()せこけています()せこけていません
ている past()せこけていた()せこけていなかった
ている past polite()せこけていました()せこけていませんでした
Conditional ば()せこければ()せこけなければ
Conditional たら()せこけたら()せこけなかったら
Volitional()せこけよう
Volitional polite()せこけましょう
Potential()せこけられる()せこけられない
Passive()せこけられる()せこけられない
Causative()せこけさせる()せこけさせない
Imperative()せこけろ()せこけるな
1. to become gaunt; to be emaciated; to be skin and bones
To become extremely and unhealthily thin, with bones and hollow features visibly apparent. Carries a strongly negative connotation, implying illness, neglect, or severe hardship.
病気(びょうき)()せこけてしまった。
He became emaciated from illness.
()せこけた(ねこ)道端(みちばた)にいた。
There was a gaunt cat on the roadside.
(ひさ)しぶりに()った祖父(そふ)()せこけていて(おどろ)いた。
I was shocked to see my grandfather looking so gaunt when I met him after a long time.

A compound verb formed from ()せる (to lose weight, to become thin) and こける (to become hollow, to be sunken). Describes an extreme degree of thinness — not just slim but unhealthily thin, with visible bones and hollow features. Carries a strongly negative connotation.

USAGE:
Most often used in the past tense or ている form to describe someone's current emaciated state. The た-form (()せこけた) frequently modifies nouns as an adjective.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • ()せこけた(からだ): an emaciated body
  • ()せこけた(かお): a gaunt face
  • ()せこけた(いぬ): a scrawny dog
  • 病気(びょうき)()せこける: to waste away from illness

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • ()せる: to lose weight, to become thin — neutral, not necessarily negative
  • ()(ほそ)る: to become thin and frail — similar meaning but slightly less extreme
  • 衰弱(すいじゃく)する: to weaken, to become debilitated — focuses on loss of strength rather than appearance