emaciated

1 of 2

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

emaciated

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of emaciate

Synonyms of emaciated

Adjective

• gaunt
• haggard
• skeletal

Examples of emaciated in a Sentence

Adjective

the emaciated bodies of the survivors of the concentration camps

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Waggoner said some of the goats were emaciated and suffering from respiratory infections. — Larry Seward, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

Would someone have noticed his emaciated appearance, his foreign features, and been suspicious enough to call the authorities? — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Bean Found as an emaciated stray eating trash at a gas station in Nogales, Mexico, Bean is now a healthy rescue pug who has never met a stranger and adores spending time with cats, kittens, babies, and toddlers. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026

Since last fall, dead and emaciated seabirds have been washing up on many California beaches. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1627, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for emaciated

• abdicated
• abrogated
• acclimated
• activated
• actuated
• adumbrated
• advocated
• aggravated
• aggregated
• agitated
• allocated
• alternated