a shadow of its former self
2
7.1
- idiom
- Informal
- Such actors are missing even in Poland, where Solidarity is but a shadow of its former self and the formerly communist labor unions lack a legitimate political partner.
Examples
-
Ari is only a shadow of his former self; his eyes even fill with tears when he sees a picture of Vince and himself on his office computer.
Academic text (2012) -
But even a weakened giant, a shadow of its former self, GM was still a substantial employer.
Blog text (29) -
America was the envy of the rest of the world, but now it's just a shadow of its former self.
Blog text (24) -
The company continued its downward spiral, and these days is a shadow of its former self.
Blog text (32) -
Bobb is now gone, but in his wake, the public school system is a shadow of its former self.
Blog text (7) -
It seems like Webshots is going to be just a shadow of its former self.
Blog text (24) -
I'm just trying to raise two kids in this godforsaken city that's a shadow of its former self.
-
Wills seems stiff and tentative, a shadow of his former self.
Fiction book (2000) -
Hoover said that after the October stroke, there was never a moment during all that time when Wilson was more than a shadow of his former self.
Academic text (2014) -
Despite its historic charm, the village is now just a shadow of its former self, lacking the vibrancy it once had.
Synonyms
31
6.8
A person who was famous or successful but no longer is
16
6.5
No longer successful or popular after being famous
9
7.9
Too old to be as useful or attractive as before
Antonyms
How Impressive
634
3.4
591
2.8
114
3.7
- Informal
2
7.1
102
4.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
a + shadow + of + its + former + self
The expression pairs 'shadow' (something faint or insubstantial) with 'former self' (a previous state), so a learner who knows those words can reasonably infer it means a weak remnant of a previous condition. However, the meaning relies on a metaphorical mapping (shadow = diminished presence) rather than a literal composition, so it is predictable but not fully literal or automatically obvious without some world knowledge and exposure.
Etymology
A shadow of its former self creates a picture of someone whose shadow used to be big and clear but is now small and faint, a much weaker copy of their former self. That's why the phrase means 'much weaker' or 'less impressive' than before.