emaciated

1 of 2

adjective

ema·​ci·​at·​ed i-ˈmā-shē-ˌā-təd  -ˈmā-sē- 

: very thin and feeble especially from lack of nutrition or illness

He was deadly pale and terribly emaciated, with the protruding, brilliant eyes of a man whose spirit was greater than his strength.

—Arthur Conan Doyle

My cheek had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement.

—Mary Shelley

emaciated

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of emaciate

Synonyms of emaciated

Adjective

• gaunt
• haggard
• skeletal

Examples of emaciated in a Sentence

Adjective

the emaciated bodies of the survivors of the concentration camps

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Farally said Schutzer's emaciated son was found in a closet estimated to be around 6 feet by 6 feet. — Ricky Sayer, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026

The shifts in the ocean are also leaving victims, as thousands of emaciated seabirds have washed up dead on beaches. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026

The goats’ dire situation first came to light when a former dairy employee raised concerns after witnessing emaciated and sick animals on the property, the former employee told the Idaho Statesman last year. — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 16 Oct. 2026

Would someone have noticed his emaciated appearance, his foreign features, and been suspicious enough to call the authorities? — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1627, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for emaciated

• abdicated
• abrogated
• acclimated
• activated
• actuated
• adumbrated
• advocated
• aggravated
• aggregated
• agitated
• allocated
• alternated