: weighing less than the normal or requisite amount
Synonyms
Examples of underweight in a Sentence
Adjective
the long illness left him frail and underweight
Recent Examples on the Web
Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2024
The 2-week-old kitten was dehydrated, underweight, had minor cuts and had an upper respiratory infection.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 10 May 2024
She was deemed underweight on arrival at the shelter, WJCL reports.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 8 May 2024
And Wells Fargo has downgraded Tesla stock to underweight, with a price target of $125, down from $200.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
The vast majority of animals were found to be severely underweight and suffering from various illnesses.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
Rescued by one of AHS’ Emergency Animal Medical Technicians™, Eisenhower was underweight and covered in wounds.
—The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Taking a hunger suppressant may be unsafe for those who are a healthy weight or are underweight.
—Weight Loss Advisors, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Sixteen were severely emaciated and likely died of starvation; 11 died of blunt force trauma — although two of those whales were also extremely underweight; at least three bore fatal wounds from killer whales and two were tangled in fishing gear.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and other non-governmental partners, have been working to collect and rehabilitate the birds, many of which are anemic, dehydrated and underweight.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2024
The 2-week-old kitten was dehydrated, underweight, had minor cuts and had an upper respiratory infection.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 10 May 2024
She was deemed underweight on arrival at the shelter, WJCL reports.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 8 May 2024
And Wells Fargo has downgraded Tesla stock to underweight, with a price target of $125, down from $200.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
The vast majority of animals were found to be severely underweight and suffering from various illnesses.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
Rescued by one of AHS’ Emergency Animal Medical Technicians™, Eisenhower was underweight and covered in wounds.
—The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Taking a hunger suppressant may be unsafe for those who are a healthy weight or are underweight.
—Weight Loss Advisors, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Sixteen were severely emaciated and likely died of starvation; 11 died of blunt force trauma — although two of those whales were also extremely underweight; at least three bore fatal wounds from killer whales and two were tangled in fishing gear.
—Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'underweight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near underweight
Cite this Entry
“Underweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underweight. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
underweight
adjective
un·der·weight
-ˈwāt 
: weighing less than the normal amount for one's age, height, and build
underweight children
underweight adults typically have a body mass index of less than 18.5
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