bulimia

noun

bu·​lim·​ia bü-ˈlē-mē-ə How to pronounce bulimia (audio) byü- How to pronounce bulimia (audio) -ˈli- How to pronounce bulimia (audio)
1
: a serious eating disorder that occurs chiefly in females, is characterized by compulsive overeating usually followed by self-induced vomiting or laxative or diuretic abuse, and is often accompanied by guilt and depression

called also bulimia nervosa

2
: an abnormal and constant craving for food
bulimic adjective or noun

Examples of bulimia 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.
The Camp Rock alum has long been open about their past battles with self-harm, bulimia, substance abuse and bipolar disorder, delving into them in documentaries such as 2017’s Simply Complicated and 2021’s Dancing With the Devil. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025 McCurdy also recounts how her mother, who was, to be fair, already dying of cancer, carefully coached her into an eating disorder, even down to the mechanics of bulimia, in an attempt to hold back puberty. Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 During her struggle with bulimia, Keaton recalled eating 20,000 calories before forcing herself to vomit. Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 14 Oct. 2025 In addition, eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder often occur alongside addictive eating. Claire Wilcox, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bulimia

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek boulimia great hunger, from bou-, augmentative prefix (from bous head of cattle) + limos hunger — more at cow

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of bulimia was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bulimia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bulimia. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

bulimia

noun
bu·​lim·​ia bü-ˈlē-mē-ə How to pronounce bulimia (audio) byü- How to pronounce bulimia (audio)
: a serious eating disorder mainly of young women that is characterized by compulsive overeating usually followed by intentional vomiting or laxative abuse
bulimic adjective

Medical Definition

bulimia

noun
variants also boulimia
1
: an abnormal and constant craving for food

called also hyperorexia

2
: a serious eating disorder that occurs chiefly in females, is characterized by compulsive overeating usually followed by self-induced vomiting or laxative or diuretic abuse, and is often accompanied by guilt and depression

More from Merriam-Webster on bulimia

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!