emaciated
adjective
ema·ci·at·ed
i-ˈmā-shē-ˌā-təd 
-ˈmā-sē-
-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
Arthur Conan DoyleMy cheek had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement.—Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley
Examples of emaciated in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Three weeks later, Papini reappeared on the side of a highway in Yolo County, bruised and emaciated, with her long blond hair sheared short and right shoulder branded.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The authors suggested the emaciated whale may have approached the photographers’ friend’s boat to seek cover from the other whale.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024
She and her business partner and podcast co-host Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested on Aug. 30 after Franke’s 12-year-old son went to neighbors wounded, emaciated, and asking for help.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2023
Social media this week has been flooded with images of an emaciated child, Yazan al-Kafarna, who journalists in Gaza say died of malnutrition.
—Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
The bird, emaciated and weak, was unable to recover.
—USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2024
So, too, must those who have overseen the club’s recruitment: Bayern’s squad is testament to an institutional uncertainty, simultaneously bloated and emaciated, a patchwork of styles and profiles.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024
David was forced to carry emaciated bodies of dead prisoners.
—Keren Blankfeld, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2024
Franke was arrested after her 12-year-old son showed up at a neighbor’s home appearing emaciated, malnourished and with open wounds.
—Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2023
Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The authors suggested the emaciated whale may have approached the photographers’ friend’s boat to seek cover from the other whale.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024
She and her business partner and podcast co-host Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested on Aug. 30 after Franke’s 12-year-old son went to neighbors wounded, emaciated, and asking for help.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 18 Dec. 2023
Social media this week has been flooded with images of an emaciated child, Yazan al-Kafarna, who journalists in Gaza say died of malnutrition.
—Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
The bird, emaciated and weak, was unable to recover.
—USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2024
So, too, must those who have overseen the club’s recruitment: Bayern’s squad is testament to an institutional uncertainty, simultaneously bloated and emaciated, a patchwork of styles and profiles.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024
David was forced to carry emaciated bodies of dead prisoners.
—Keren Blankfeld, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2024
Franke was arrested after her 12-year-old son showed up at a neighbor’s home appearing emaciated, malnourished and with open wounds.
—Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'emaciated.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1627, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near emaciated
Cite this Entry
“Emaciated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emaciated. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on emaciated
Nglish: Translation of emaciated for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of emaciated for Arabic Speakers
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