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 of emaciated

• gaunt
• haggard
• skeletal

Examples of emaciated in a Sentence

the emaciated bodies of the survivors of the concentration camps

Recent Examples on the Web

Eventually, Sarah started helping out with Wags & Walks, and Kyle adopted an emaciated dog named Jude. —Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 15 Dec. 2025

Nevada County sheriff’s officials arrested a Grass Valley man on suspicion of animal cruelty after authorities rescued more than 200 animals from a property where some animals were found dead, sickly or emaciated. —Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 14 Dec. 2025

The sergeant also reported seeing animals that looked sickly and emaciated, the sheriff's office says. —Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025

Of the animals seized, there were specific injuries and medical issues noted — including emaciated animals and goats with severe abscesses and mastitis. —Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 1 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for emaciated

• abbreviated
• accelerated
• accentuated
• accommodated
• acculturated
• accumulated
• acidulated
• adjudicated
• administrated
• adulterated
• affiliated
• agglomerated