絶え絶え

たえだえ【絶え絶え】

¶ → 息も絶え絶えだ

¶ → 息も絶え絶えに言う

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たえだえ【絶え絶え】

～の[な] 〔途切れそうな〕 faint; feeble; 〔途切れ途切れの〕 intermittent; fitful; spasmodic; by [in] fits and starts.

●息も絶え絶えの 〔死にかけた〕 breathing faintly; gasping for breath; on the verge [point] of death; at one's last gasp; 〔疲労困憊した〕 exhausted; on the verge [point] of collapse

・路上で息も絶え絶えのツバメのひなを拾った. I picked up a dying baby swallow on the street.

・不況で息も絶え絶えの町工場 backstreet factories on the verge of collapse under the recession

・ようやく頂上にたどり着いたときは息も絶え絶えだった. When we finally reached the summit we were gasping for breath.

・絶え絶えに 〔息が途切れそうなほど弱々しく〕 faintly; feebly; in gasps; 〔途切れ途切れに〕 intermittently; fitfully; spasmodically; by [in] fits and starts

・息も絶え絶えに話す talk in gasps; murmur faintly

・彼は息も絶え絶えに「水, 水をくれ」と言った. “Water. Give me some water”, he whispered faintly.

・彼は息も絶え絶えになっていた. I found him breathing very feebly [at his last gasp].

・虫の音が絶え絶えに聞こえた. Insects could be heard chirping fitfully.