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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emaciate
Verb
  • As more state legislation is passed that weakens or eliminates longstanding fire and life safety codes, the need for young workers who are trained and passionate about reversing these trends is high.
    Jim Pauley, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
  • The pests set about sucking the sap from grape roots, slowly weakening them and opening wounds that invited disease.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The issue of student rights has faded from headlines, though obstacles linger.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
  • Hope for a similar easy resolution for the Wentz family quickly faded.
    Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • The main reason the studios and independents go abroad to shoot is money.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2025
  • So how did Combs go from wearing a glamorous bespoke white suit on the steps of the Met Gala a few years back to now being allocated 20 pieces of clothing he's permitted to wear at a courthouse just 5 miles away?
    KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 4 May 2025
Verb
  • Consumer confidence is sagging as shoppers are fatigued by inflation and the impact of tariffs.
    Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 1 May 2025
  • The continued flouting of production quotas could keep oil prices sagging, even after US President Donald Trump signalled a potential U-turn on his trade war with China.
    Amy Gunia, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • However, when viruses were exposed to sunlight, many of them did not survive as long, decaying in under 24 hours.
    Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The result was not only environmental catastrophe but license for unchecked consumption of cheap plastic goods that can take a few minutes to use but hundreds of years to decay.
    Scott W. Stern, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Even though the measure failed in Bensenville, at least 163 communities around the state have recently enacted local grocery taxes.
    Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2025
  • That effort cost Obama's party control of the U.S. House of Representatives, while Republicans failed in their own bids to repeal the law.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 4 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Emaciate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emaciate. Accessed 10 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on emaciate

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!