骨瘦如柴 (gǔ shòu rú chái) — emaciated; as thin as a rake; like a bag of bones

Definition

A vivid idiom for 'skin and bones' — far stronger than a simple 'thin', evoking severe emaciation from illness, famine, or exhaustion.

idiom
emaciatedas thin as a rakelike a bag of bones

Examples

  • 骨瘦如柴
    Tā shēng bìng zhī hòu shòu dé gǔ shòu rú chái, ràng rén kàn le hěn xīn téng.
    After his illness he became so thin — like a bag of bones — that it pained people to see him.
  • 骨瘦如柴
    Nà ge jī huang ràng cūn lǐ hěn duō rén biàn de gǔ shòu rú chái.
    That famine left many villagers emaciated, skin and bones.
  • 骨瘦如柴
    Jīng guò jǐ gè yuè de xīn kǔ láo zuò, tā biàn de gǔ shòu rú chái.
    After months of hard labor, he became as thin as a rake.

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