goes to seed
Declines from disuse
Goes to seed describes plants that have flowered and produced seeds, ending their productive cycle—lettuce that bolts, herbs that turn bitter and woody.
The phrase extends to people or things that have declined from neglect or age: The old neighborhood has really gone to seed.
A person gone to seed has let themselves deteriorate physically: He's gone to seed since retiring.
- rotsUndergoes organic breakdown
- decaysDeteriorates over time
- fallDescend under gravity
- falling apartGradually breaking into pieces
- dryFree from moisture
left to rot · dried up · flowering · dilapidation · beyond repair · run-down · obsolescence · faded · past its prime · seen better days · senescence · overgrown · degeneration · pollination · bolting · decline · neglected · let go