emaciated

adjective

ema·​ci·​at·​ed i-ˈmā-shē-ˌā-təd  -ˈmā-sē- 

: very thin and feeble especially from lack of nutrition or illness

He was deadly pale and terribly emaciated, with the protruding, brilliant eyes of a man whose spirit was greater than his strength.

—Arthur Conan Doyle

My cheek had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement.

—Mary Shelley

Synonyms

• cadaverous
• gaunt
• haggard
• skeletal
• wasted

Examples of emaciated in a Sentence

the emaciated bodies of the survivors of the concentration camps

Recent Examples on the Web

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Florida's Broward County Animal Services found the emaciated canine injured and alone in a park. —Kelli Bender, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024

In February, a 46-foot-long whale was found washed up on an Oregon shore — emaciated, entangled and covered in what appears to be wounds from killer whales. —CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024

Severely malnourished children are emaciated and typically lethargic or even unconscious, have cold hands, a rapid pulse, low blood pressure, and may be close to dying. —Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 2 Oct. 2024

Macy was found emaciated and struggling to survive. —Stephanie McBee, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above