羸

A lack of substance or vitality, typically implying wasting due to illness, hardship, or exhaustion rather than neutral thinness. The sense ranges from physical appearance (gaunt, emaciated) to functional state (weak, spent).

Used as an adjective describing a state of depletion, or as a stative verb meaning "to become emaciated" or "to waste away," often carrying a passive weight regarding a condition that has befallen the subject.

Compared to 瘦 (shòu), which can be a simple description of build, 羸 suggests fragility and usually implies an underlying cause. Compared to 弱 (ruò), which is a general lack of power, 羸 specifically denotes the physical wasting of the frame.

Be alert to polyphony: when read as lí, this glyph refers to binding, restraint, or shackles. If the context involves ropes, constraints, or imprisonment, consider if the text refers to the act of being bound rather than a state of emaciation.