見る影もない · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 見る影もない | 見る影もなくない |
| Polite | 見る影もないです | 見る影もなくないですalso 見る影もなくありません |
| Past polite | 見る影もなかったです | 見る影もなくなかったですalso 見る影もなくありませんでした |
| Past | 見る影もなかった | 見る影もなくなかった |
| Te-form | 見る影もなくて | 見る影もなくなくて |
| Adverbial | 見る影もなく | |
| Conditional | 見る影もなければ | 見る影もなくなければ |
| Tara conditional | 見る影もなかったら | 見る影もなくなかったら |
mere shadow of one's former self; unrecognizable
Describes someone or something that has declined so much that they are barely recognizable compared to their past state, often used for lost talent, looks, or glory.
He had lost so much weight from illness that he was a mere shadow of his former self.
The once-great athlete is now unrecognizable.
Standard kanji spelling for this idiomatic expression.
Variant with 無い; less common but still encountered.
Literally 'not even a shadow to see', an idiomatic expression emphasizing that the current state is so diminished that no trace of the former self remains.