: weighing less than the normal or requisite amount
Examples of underweight in a Sentence
Adjective
the long illness left him frail and underweight
Recent Examples on the Web
Christa Swanson, CBS News, 24 May 2026
Bariatric surgery – a procedure for weight loss – appears to alter set point weight, reducing hunger without decreasing energy expenditure and patients rarely become underweight.
—Kim Pfotenhauer, The Conversation, 22 May 2026
The compute build for inference has multi-year lead times, the capacity is already spoken for through 2027, and the buyers are still underweight.
—Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
My five-year-old daughter was born underweight, probably because both parents were smokers.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underweight
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Adjective
The bear cubs were orphaned last summer and were severely underweight when they were discovered.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 24 May 2026
Bariatric surgery – a procedure for weight loss – appears to alter set point weight, reducing hunger without decreasing energy expenditure and patients rarely become underweight.
—Kim Pfotenhauer, The Conversation, 22 May 2026
The compute build for inference has multi-year lead times, the capacity is already spoken for through 2027, and the buyers are still underweight.
—Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
My five-year-old daughter was born underweight, probably because both parents were smokers.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underweight
Cite this Entry
“Underweight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underweight. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
underweight
adjective
un·der·weight
-ˈwāt 
: weighing less than the normal amount for one's age, height, and build
underweight children
underweight adults typically have a body mass index of less than 18.5
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