瘦削 (shòuxuē) is an adjective describing a person’s appearance—specifically, being extremely thin in a way that suggests physical weakness, exhaustion, or illness. The first character 瘦 means 'thin' or 'lean', while 削 means 'to cut away' or 'to pare down'; together, they evoke the image of someone so thin their features appear sharply etched or worn down, like flesh pared away from bone. It carries a distinctly negative, often somber connotation—not just slimness, but unhealthy thinness resulting from stress, grief, chronic illness, or malnutrition.

This word is commonly used in literary or descriptive writing—novels, biographies, news reports about health crises—or in empathetic spoken contexts when commenting on someone’s deteriorating condition. It rarely appears in casual conversation unless expressing deep concern. Unlike neutral terms like 苗条 (miáotiáo, 'slim and graceful'), 瘦削 always implies loss, fragility, or suffering, and is never complimentary.