anemic

adjective

ane·​mic ə-ˈnē-mik How to pronounce anemic (audio)
1
: relating to or affected with anemia
The blood test indicated that he was slightly anemic.
2
a
: lacking force, vitality, or spirit
an anemic rendition of the song
anemic efforts at enforcement
b
: lacking interest or savor (see savor entry 1 sense 3) : insipid
anemic wines
c
: lacking in substance or quantity
anemic returns on an investment
anemic attendance
anemically adverb

Examples of anemic in a Sentence

The doctor told me I was slightly anemic. The band played an anemic rendition of a classic love song. Investors are worried about the stock's anemic performance. Officials worried about anemic attendance at the shows. Sales rose an anemic 0.5 percent last quarter.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Friday's dismal report showed anemic growth and downward revisions for June and July only emphasized the slowdown in hiring. Jj Kinahan, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 The Seattle Seahawks did not exactly get off on the right foot in the Sam Darnold era on Sunday, losing to the San Francisco 49ers in an anemic season opener. Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025 The federal jobs report has revealed anemic growth since the spring, most recently disappointing expectations with a print of just 22,000 jobs in August. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025 Starmer initially stood up for his deputy, but his support grew more anemic day by day. Max Foster, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anemic

Word History

Etymology

see anemia

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of anemic was in 1826

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anemic. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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