emaciated

adjective

ema·​ci·​at·​ed i-ˈmā-shē-ˌā-təd How to pronounce emaciated (audio) -ˈmā-sē- How to pronounce emaciated (audio)
: 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

Examples of emaciated in a Sentence

the emaciated bodies of the survivors of the concentration camps
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.
When the Plainfield Police Department responded to an animal cruelty call in April 2023, officers found two emaciated dogs in barren crates. Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 18 Sep. 2025 One evening in early 1944, four emaciated young women, attempting to rouse themselves from their grim prison conditions, began a secret performance of Beethoven’s Pathétique sonata in the cold and cramped barrack that also served as their dormitory, practice room, eating place and parcel depot. Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025 An upstate New York humane society sent a powerful message by seeking legal repercussions when an emaciated dog came into their care. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025 In all, 12 dogs were inside, 10 of them puppies and two mama dogs, all emaciated, all living in filth, all in a single home, the Nashville Humane Association said. Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 29 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for emaciated

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of emaciated was in 1627

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Cite this Entry

“Emaciated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emaciated. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

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