shadow of one's self

Idioms and Phrases

Also, shadow of one's former or old self . A person, group, or thing that has become weaker in physical or mental capacities or in power or authority. For example, After that long battle with the flu, he was just a shadow of his old self , or This new administration is but a shadow of itself , or The revised constitution is a shadow of its former self . The use of shadow for an emaciated person dates from the late 1500s, and by about 1800 the word began to be used for other kinds of attenuation.