枯れる

[lamperouge_0]

I am wondering what 枯れている means in the context of this sentence:「二十歳の俺はこんな枯れてるはずじゃなかったもん」

I tried looking the word up in the dictionary but am still having trouble understanding. Could someone please explain? Thank you.

Comments

[mckuroske]

It means "to dry up" (as in "leaves dry up in autumn").

So the sentence itsefl means: "I just can't have dried up as far as that being only twenty".

[lamperouge_0]

I understand how leaves can dry up, but it doesn't make sense for a person to literally "dry up." Is it a metaphor or something?

[mckuroske]

Yes, this must be a metaphor: he feels as if he has dried up as dying leaves do in autumn, but he wonders how it can be so when he is only twenty which is supposed to be an age of "spring" not "autumn" for a human being.

[lamperouge_0]

Ahhh, I see. Thank you!