bulimia

noun

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bu·lim·ia | \ bü-ˈlē-mē-ə

, byü-

, -ˈli-

Definition of bulimia

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

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Examples of bulimia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Someone in my life didn't think boys could have bulimia, so that became an issue. — Patia Braithwaite, SELF, "Important Reminder: Anyone Can Have an Eating Disorder," 27 Feb. 2020 For women already in the throes of anorexia or bulimia, juice fasts provide a great cover. — Courtney Rubin, Marie Claire, "Cleansing's Dirty Secret," 26 Apr. 2013 The initiative aims to include 100,000 people with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. — Jennifer Couzin-frankel, Science | AAAS, "Rethinking anorexia: Biology may be more important than culture, new studies reveal," 9 Apr. 2020 According to the National Eating Disorders Association, roughly 20 million women and 10 million men in the United States will at some point in their lives have a binge-eating disorder or an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia. — Karen Crouse, New York Times, "Disruptions Add to Risks for Athletes With Eating Disorders," 3 May 2020 When Val was on the road, loneliness began to set in and Candace turned to food for comfort — and binging eventually lead to an eating disorder: bulimia. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Go, Candace, Go," 22 Apr. 2020 But behind Seidel’s success was a near-invisible adversary that manifested itself in bulimia. — Brandon Chase, BostonGlobe.com, "Unexpected Olympic Marathon qualifier Molly Seidel has two jobs, likes donuts, and trains in Boston," 1 Mar. 2020 Even without an official diagnosis, orthorexia can cause permanent damage reminiscent of anorexia nervosa or bulimia -- increased risks of malnutrition and heart disease, negatively affected cognition and fertility, and a weaker immune system. — Eden David And, ABC News, "Social media exposure may exacerbate eating disorder," 27 Feb. 2020 First is the stigma around anorexia and bulimia associated with the sport regarding cutting weight. — Jon Solomon, USA TODAY, "How one high school wrestling team dramatically increased participation by putting kids first," 30 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bulimia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

9 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Bulimia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bulimia. Accessed 6 Jul. 2020.

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More Definitions for bulimia

bulimia

noun

English Language Learners Definition of bulimia

: a serious physical and emotional illness in which people and especially young women eat large amounts of food and then cause themselves to vomit in order to not gain weight

See the full definition for bulimia in the English Language Learners Dictionary

bulimia

noun

bu·lim·ia | \ byü-ˈlim-ē-ə

, bü-

, -ˈlē-mē-

variants: also boulimia \ bü-

Medical Definition of bulimia

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