malnourished

adjective

mal·​nour·​ished ˌmal-ˈnər-isht How to pronounce malnourished (audio)
-ˈnə-risht
: supplied with less than the minimum or an unbalanced amount of the nutrients or foods essential for sound health and growth : marked by malnutrition
When it comes to certain nutrients, in fact, an estimated 80 to 90 percent of obese individuals are malnourished.Maria Konnikova
especially : undernourished sense 1
How do you help malnourished children and assure that they won't go hungry again after you leave? Melissa Hendricks
Patients may become malnourished from being unable to take food by mouth … Laura Landro

Examples of malnourished in a Sentence

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.
All sides in the war are behaving irresponsibly, so more than half the people of Sudan — 25 million people — have become acutely malnourished already. Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024 An anguished call from a Los Gatos pediatrician about a malnourished infant in late 1974 spurred Teresa Asquith into action and brought Mothers’ Milk Bank California into reality. Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2024 Israel’s war in Gaza has depleted the territory’s health system, leaving staff unable to treat malnourished children. Eyad Kourdi, CNN, 10 July 2024 The pups arrive skinny and malnourished, receive care and medical treatment and are released. Tara Ellison, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for malnourished 

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of malnourished was in 1911

Dictionary Entries Near malnourished

Cite this Entry

“Malnourished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malnourished. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

malnourished

adjective
mal·​nour·​ished (ˈ)mal-ˈnər-isht How to pronounce malnourished (audio)
-ˈnə-risht
: poorly nourished : undernourished

Medical Definition

malnourished

adjective
mal·​nour·​ished (ˈ)mal-ˈnər-isht, -ˈnə-risht How to pronounce malnourished (audio)
: supplied with less than the minimum or an unbalanced amount of the nutrients or foods essential for sound health and growth : marked by malnutrition
When it comes to certain nutrients, in fact, an estimated 80 to 90 percent of obese individuals are malnourished.Maria Konnikova
especially : undernourished
How do you help malnourished children and assure that they won't go hungry again after you leave? Melissa Hendricks
Patients may become malnourished from being unable to take food by mouth … Laura Landro
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