1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

anorexic

adjective

Definition of anorexicnext
as in anorectic

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of anorexic Along with icons of anorexic saints, my childhood home was a place of books. — Eliza Griswold, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025 At once too frigid and too promiscuous within the terms of early psychoanalysis, the anorexic woman’s appetites (or lack thereof) were a threat to the cultural order. — Anna Shechtman, Harper's Magazine, 2 Mar. 2024 From much of the plaza, yet another anorexic supertall for squillionaires, rising at 29th Street, now blots it out. — Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023 In February, her daughter passed out—probably from low blood pressure, a common health complication in anorexic patients—and went to the emergency room. — Sumathi Reddy, WSJ, 21 June 2021 See All Example Sentences for anorexic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anorexic
  1. anorectic
  2. emaciated
  3. gaunt
  4. skeletal
  5. haggard
  6. lanky
  7. weedy
  8. cadaverous
Adjective
  • Beyond that, signs' late and early parts are called anorectic and critical degrees.
    — Lisa Stardust, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
Definition of anorectic
Adjective
  • Since last fall, an influx of dead and emaciated seabirds washing up on California beaches has had the attention of wildlife experts.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the new parent, whom the humane society dubbed Mercy, was emaciated, weak and struggling to breathe, with wound abscesses on her swollen face and mouth.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of emaciated
Adjective
  • Apple was widely criticized in the late 2000s for not volunteering more information about Jobs’ health, especially as concerns about his gaunt appearance battered the company’s shares.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • As her pregnancy progressed, Kabita’s belly swelled while the rest of her remained gaunt.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of gaunt
Adjective
  • In the linocut, Roque is seen to be wearing a scarf and looking almost skeletal.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The findings suggest compression can enhance the natural skeletal-muscle pump.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of skeletal
Adjective
  • Xbox, despite its increasingly haggard reputation, has announced backwards compatibility for PC.
    — Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Rocking back and forth nervously during a television appearance, a haggard-looking Diaz-Canel acknowledged the same talks, which his government had denied were taking place just days before.
    — Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
Definition of haggard
Adjective
  • Verity ultimately transforms into a tall, lanky monster chasing ThatMob in the dark.
    — Owen Carry, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Mukhamadullin, a lanky 6-4 Russian, is the X-factor as a newcomer from the San Jose Sharks.
    — Janson Duench, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of lanky
Adjective
  • Jeon-Gi lives with his Korean family in Building A, scrapping with kids from other immigrant families in a weedy playground.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
  • Your neighbors probably won't be bothered by your weedy flower beds or rusty lawn furniture.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 June 2026
Definition of weedy
Adjective
  • Die große Nacht im Eimer (The Big Night Down the Drain), made that year, depicts a figure of indiscernible age with a cadaverous pallor and yellow splotches, brandishing an oversized phallus beneath a soot-black veil.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
  • As the hulking creature, the Australian star appears to have pale, cadaverous skin with lacerations across it and long, stringy hair.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of cadaverous

Browse Nearby Words

anorectic
anorexic
another
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anorexic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anorexic. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All