as in to weaken
to lose bodily strength or vigor
without adequate medical supplies, doctors could only look on helplessly as cholera victims continued to emaciate
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Recent Examples of emaciate
Ruby’s 10-year-old daughter was also found in the house emaciated, and the two women were arrested and held without bail.
—
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2024
At barely five pounds, Matilda was emaciated and clinging to life when the Monmouth County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took her in.
—Kathleen Hopkins, USA TODAY, 30 May 2023
Six dead giraffes, bodies emaciated from the lack of food and water, photographed by Ed Ram, show the horror of Kenya’s prolonged ongoing drought, which has threatened and displaced animals and humans alike.
—Nell Lewis, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
Past herds of cows wandering through busy settlements along the highway in search of water, so emaciated their ribs were showing.
—Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023
Many were emaciated, unlike the examples in the current study.
—Joshua Sokol, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020
Three of them were severely malnourished and the rest were emaciated, according to the Sheriff's Office.
—James Carr, azcentral, 21 Feb. 2020
Detectives noted that much of the food in the home was locked away and that James' body was emaciated when found.
—Sarah Sarder, Houston Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2020
Scores of common murres, one of the most prolific seabirds, washed up on beaches, and many were emaciated, the researchers said.
—oregonlive, 21 Jan. 2020
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2024
At barely five pounds, Matilda was emaciated and clinging to life when the Monmouth County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took her in.
—Kathleen Hopkins, USA TODAY, 30 May 2023
Six dead giraffes, bodies emaciated from the lack of food and water, photographed by Ed Ram, show the horror of Kenya’s prolonged ongoing drought, which has threatened and displaced animals and humans alike.
—Nell Lewis, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
Past herds of cows wandering through busy settlements along the highway in search of water, so emaciated their ribs were showing.
—Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023
Many were emaciated, unlike the examples in the current study.
—Joshua Sokol, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020
Three of them were severely malnourished and the rest were emaciated, according to the Sheriff's Office.
—James Carr, azcentral, 21 Feb. 2020
Detectives noted that much of the food in the home was locked away and that James' body was emaciated when found.
—Sarah Sarder, Houston Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2020
Scores of common murres, one of the most prolific seabirds, washed up on beaches, and many were emaciated, the researchers said.
—oregonlive, 21 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emaciate
Verb
-
Under this model, airlines, hotels, and other end-service providers may benefit, while intermediaries such as ticket booking platforms and price comparison websites may see their roles weakened.—
,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
-
This weakens the plant and can cause dieback.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Will those quality wins be enough to bolster the tournament hopes that seem to fade with each score update from across the country?—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Similarly, faded or outdated trim and porch columns stick out in a modern neighborhood, but these features can be updated with a quick coat of paint or stain to enhance the look of your home.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His Jayhawks went 1-1 at the Big 12 tournament, defeating TCU 78-73 on Thursday before getting clobbered by Houston 69-47 in Friday’s semifinals.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The team that went undefeated in the regular season, racked up more victories than anyone but Duke and Arizona -- and fewer losses than any team at all -- is anything but your run-of-the-mill basketball behemoth.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While much of those streaming sales were non-sports commitments, the flow of ad dollars away from linear TV will accelerate as the primetime entertainment properties continue to sag under the weight of their cultural irrelevancy.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Heaps of leathery brown prickly pear pads sagged into the dirt and ash.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Chunks of decaying organic matter, and the spaces made by the creatures that feed on it, make the soil lighter and more porous.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Rusting agricultural equipment and decaying barns gave the sci-fi story an eerie texture that’s strangely suited to a movie theater in a trailer.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Some candidates who submitted petitions by the March 4 deadline failed to qualify because some of their signatures were deemed invalid.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Republicans, who control half of the Minnesota House, pointed out that DHS failed to detect fraud for years.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Emaciate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emaciate. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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