verb/de.pe.ʁiʁ/
to decline, to fade away, to wither away, to go downhill
“L’enfant dépérissait, la mère et la grand-mère se dévoraient d’inquiétude.” — The child was in decline, the mother and the grandmother consumed themselves with worry.
Related: dépérissement
Learned borrowing from Latin dēpereō.