dépérir

to wither, to waste away

verb deh-peh-REER Rare

Usage Note

Dépérir describes a slow, progressive weakening — of a plant, an animal, a person, or an institution. It is more literary and emphatic than s'affaiblir and implies a visible physical deterioration. The noun form dépérissement (withering, decline) is used in botany, economics, and medicine.

Examples

"Sans eau, la plante commence à dépérir."

Natural Translation

Without water, the plant begins to wither.

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