undernourished
adjective
un·der·nour·ished
ˌən-dər-ˈnər-isht 
-ˈnə-risht
1
: supplied with less than the minimum amount of the nutrients or foods essential for sound health and growth : marked by undernutrition
undernourished infants
Since these drugs suppress appetite, stimulant users are often undernourished and experience all the ill effects of that condition.—
Cynthia Kuhn
Cynthia Kuhn2
: poorly supplied with vital elements or qualities
undernourished independent libraries
Examples of undernourished in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Factors like immune health and body fat play a role; if someone is already undernourished, their health will deteriorate quickly, after a few days without food.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 31 July 2025
Sticking with the example of hunger, the UN’s target number 2 out of 17, the inception of the Sustainable Development Goals came at a time when progress on the topic was good and only 552 million people in the world were estimated to be undernourished in 2014, down from 789 million in 2005.
—Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Despite staying busy and productive, many of us end the day feeling emotionally undernourished.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
This, in a neighborhood with lots of undernourished children.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for undernourished
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Angela Haupt, Time, 31 July 2025
Sticking with the example of hunger, the UN’s target number 2 out of 17, the inception of the Sustainable Development Goals came at a time when progress on the topic was good and only 552 million people in the world were estimated to be undernourished in 2014, down from 789 million in 2005.
—Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Despite staying busy and productive, many of us end the day feeling emotionally undernourished.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
This, in a neighborhood with lots of undernourished children.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for undernourished
Cite this Entry
“Undernourished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undernourished. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
undernourished
adjective
un·der·nour·ished
ˌən-dər-ˈnər-isht
-ˈnə-risht
: supplied with too little food for health and growth
Medical Definition
undernourished
adjective
un·der·nour·ished
ˌən-dər-ˈnər-isht, -ˈnə-risht
: supplied with less than the minimum amount of the nutrients or foods essential for sound health and growth : marked by undernutrition
undernourished infants
Since these drugs suppress appetite, stimulant users are often undernourished and experience all the ill effects of that condition.—Cynthia Kuhn
Cynthia KuhnLove words? Need even more definitions?
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