malnourished

adjective

mal·​nour·​ished ˌmal-ˈnər-isht 

-ˈnə-risht

: supplied with less than the minimum or an unbalanced amount of the nutrients or foods essential for sound health and growth : marked by malnutrition

When it comes to certain nutrients, in fact, an estimated 80 to 90 percent of obese individuals are malnourished.

—Maria Konnikova

especially : undernourished sense 1

How do you help malnourished children and assure that they won't go hungry again after you leave?

—Melissa Hendricks

Patients may become malnourished from being unable to take food by mouth …

—Laura Landro

Examples of malnourished in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Several were severely malnourished and in need of immediate medical care. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026

The child’s malnourished body was already decomposing. — Laura Bauer june 2, Kansas City Star, 2 June 2026

Warming temperatures and shifts in sea ice in the Arctic are disrupting the food web gray whales rely on during summer feeding months, according to a 2023 study in Science, leaving many malnourished during migration. — ABC News, 20 May 2026

Zoo announces third death, a sloth named Dumpling So far, three of 13 malnourished sloths have not survived after they were taken in by Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford, about 25 miles from Orlando. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 6 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for malnourished

• undernourished
• flourished
• nourished

Kids Definition

malnourished

adjective

mal·​nour·​ished (ˈ)mal-ˈnər-isht 

-ˈnə-risht

: poorly nourished : undernourished

Medical Definition

malnourished

adjective

mal·​nour·​ished (ˈ)mal-ˈnər-isht, -ˈnə-risht 

: supplied with less than the minimum or an unbalanced amount of the nutrients or foods essential for sound health and growth : marked by malnutrition

When it comes to certain nutrients, in fact, an estimated 80 to 90 percent of obese individuals are malnourished.

—Maria Konnikova

especially : undernourished

How do you help malnourished children and assure that they won't go hungry again after you leave?

—Melissa Hendricks

Patients may become malnourished from being unable to take food by mouth …

—Laura Landro