underweight

1 of 2

noun

un·​der·​weight ˌən-dər-ˈwāt How to pronounce underweight (audio)
: weight below normal, average, or requisite weight

underweight

2 of 2

adjective

: weighing less than the normal or requisite amount

Examples of underweight in a Sentence

Adjective the long illness left him frail and underweight
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Elsewhere Tuesday morning on Wall Street, Wells Fargo added Tesla to its tactical underweight list for the second quarter. Fred Imbert, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2025 In addition, Alpine driver Pierre Gasly became the third driver of the day to be disqualified for having an underweight car. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2025 Leclerc and Gasly were both disqualified for having underweight cars. Ben Morse, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025 Similarly, while a net +17% of fund managers were overweight U.S. stocks last month, this month that figure fell to -23%, showing that most managers are now underweight the U.S. market. Felix Salmon, Axios, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for underweight

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1596, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1675, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of underweight was in 1596

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Underweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underweight. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

underweight

adjective
un·​der·​weight
ˌən-dər-ˈwāt
: weighing less than what is normal, average, or necessary

Medical Definition

underweight

adjective
un·​der·​weight -ˈwāt How to pronounce underweight (audio)
: weighing less than the normal amount for one's age, height, and build
underweight children
underweight adults typically have a body mass index of less than 18.5
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