bulimia

noun

bu·​lim·​ia bü-ˈlē-mē-ə  byü-  -ˈli- 

1

: a serious eating disorder that occurs chiefly in females, is characterized by compulsive overeating usually followed by self-induced vomiting or laxative or diuretic abuse, and is often accompanied by guilt and depression

called also bulimia nervosa

2

: an abnormal and constant craving for food

bulimic

bü-ˈlē-mik 

byü-

-ˈli- 

adjective or noun

Examples of bulimia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The season also chronicled her struggle with bulimia. —Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2023

Stoner noted that what originally began as orthorexia, an obsession with healthy eating, evolved into severe restriction, exercise bulimia, and binge eating. —Amy Rosner, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2023

The center helps treat anorexia, restrictive eating, bulimia and binge-eating disorder and hosts programs online and in person. —Samia Salahi, The Arizona Republic, 8 June 2023

About 36 percent of people with anorexia develop bulimia at some point, and 27 percent of people with bulimia develop anorexia, according to one study. —Kate Siber, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2022

But while those conditions have started to ebb, clinicians say anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder are still at their high water mark, an observation bolstered by recent data from the CDC showing ER visits for eating disorders remained up by more than 50% from 2019. —Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2023

Beth Rose, co-founder of the Alaska Eating Disorders Alliance, said there’s been a steep rise in the number of people younger than 17 with eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. —Alex Demarban, Anchorage Daily News, 28 June 2023

Kesha is also in ongoing recovery for bulimia, which began with a two-month inpatient rehab stay in 2014. —Amy Rose Spiegel, SELF, 20 June 2023

Women are more likely to suffer from eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia, but research, diagnosis and treatment lag for men, LGBTQ individuals, and Latina and Black women. —Samia Salahi, The Arizona Republic, 8 June 2023

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Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek boulimia great hunger, from bou-, augmentative prefix (from bous head of cattle) + limos hunger — more at cow

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

bulimia

noun

bu·​lim·​ia bü-ˈlē-mē-ə  byü- 

: a serious eating disorder mainly of young women that is characterized by compulsive overeating usually followed by intentional vomiting or laxative abuse

bulimic

-ˈlē-mik 

adjective

Medical Definition

bulimia

noun

bu·​lim·​ia byü-ˈlim-ē-ə  bü-  -ˈlē-mē- 

variants also boulimia

bü- 

1

: an abnormal and constant craving for food

called also hyperorexia

2

: a serious eating disorder that occurs chiefly in females, is characterized by compulsive overeating usually followed by self-induced vomiting or laxative or diuretic abuse, and is often accompanied by guilt and depression