emaciated

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

Synonyms

• gaunt
• haggard
• skeletal

Examples of emaciated in a Sentence

the emaciated bodies of the survivors of the concentration camps

Recent Examples on the Web

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies there is starvation in Gaza as images emerge of emaciated Palestinians. —David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 31 July 2025

That cannot be reconciled with images of emaciated children. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 July 2025

Images of emaciated children have sparked outrage around the world, including from Israel’s close allies. —Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2025

These emaciated, ashy pyromaniacs are led by Varang (Oona Chaplin), giving Queen of the Damned body tea in her bloodred makeup and statement headpiece. —Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 28 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1627, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for emaciated

• abbreviated
• accelerated
• accentuated
• accommodated
• acculturated
• accumulated
• acidulated
• adjudicated
• administrated
• adulterated
• affiliated
• agglomerated