痩(や)せこける

やせこける
verb (ichidan)
to become gaunt; to be emaciated; to be skin and bones
自動詞 intransitivehealth
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present痩(や)せこける痩(や)せこけない
Present polite痩(や)せこけます痩(や)せこけません
Past痩(や)せこけた痩(や)せこけなかった
Past polite痩(や)せこけました痩(や)せこけませんでした
て form痩(や)せこけて痩(や)せこけなくて
ている present痩(や)せこけている痩(や)せこけていない
ている polite痩(や)せこけています痩(や)せこけていません
ている past痩(や)せこけていた痩(や)せこけていなかった
ている past polite痩(や)せこけていました痩(や)せこけていませんでした
Conditional ば痩(や)せこければ痩(や)せこけなければ
Conditional たら痩(や)せこけたら痩(や)せこけなかったら
Volitional痩(や)せこけよう—
Volitional polite痩(や)せこけましょう—
Potential痩(や)せこけられる痩(や)せこけられない
Passive痩(や)せこけられる痩(や)せこけられない
Causative痩(や)せこけさせる痩(や)せこけさせない
Imperative痩(や)せこけろ痩(や)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)で痩(や)せこけてしまった。
He became emaciated from illness.
痩(や)せこけた猫(ねこ)が道端(みちばた)にいた。
There was a gaunt cat on the roadside.
I was shocked to see my grandfather looking so gaunt when I met him after a long time.

A compound verb formed from 痩(や)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 (痩(や)せこけた) frequently modifies nouns as an adjective.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 痩(や)せる: to lose weight, to become thin — neutral, not necessarily negative
  • 痩(や)せ細(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