憔悴

憔悴

1. (of person) wan and sallow; thin and pallid; haggard; emaciated

   • 衣帶漸寬終不悔，為伊銷得人憔悴。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     衣带渐宽终不悔，为伊销得人憔悴。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 11th century, Ouyang Xiu, Lyrics to the Melody of Butterflies Chasing Flowers (蝶戀花)

     Yīdài jiàn kuān zhōng bù huǐ, wèi yī xiāo dé rén qiáocuì. [Pinyin]

     Becoming loose are my clothes yet I regret not,
     For I languish and suffer for her willingly.

2. (of plants) withered; wilted
3. (literary, of person) weary; enervated

憔悴

1. (literary) to suffer; to experience hardship; to languish; to be worried

   • 民之憔悴於虐政，未有甚於此時者也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     民之憔悴于虐政，未有甚于此时者也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, circa 4^th century BCE

     Mín zhī qiáocuì yú nüèzhèng, wèi yǒu shèn yú cǐshí zhě yě. [Pinyin]

     Never was there a time when the sufferings of the people from tyrannical government were more intense than the present.