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
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
-
But Goolsbee said Trump’s immigration crackdown likely has affected population growth and the jobs numbers, but that doesn’t mean the labor market has substantially weakened.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
-
This means banana particles can remain between teeth for an extended period, giving bacteria more time to produce acids that weaken tooth enamel.14 6.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But Whitworth faded in the final round, shooting over par for the first time in the Open, and Bradley came from behind to win after a tense duel with Beth Daniel on the back nine.—
Hank Beckman,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Equally, the allure of lying on a beach or touring the typical sights is fading.—
Duncan Madden,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
George Springer helped lead Toronto’s offense, going 3 for 6 with a solo homer, a double and an RBI single.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Peter Aiken/Getty Images Footage of the incident has since gone viral and circulated online, drawing widespread attention and sparking discussion among fans and analysts around the team and its players.—
Cecil Merkerson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The reason the Feds are discussing a rate cut is to address the sagging job market, Pearce says.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Time Warner’s stock price was sagging, and Levin was looking to boost it by selling off assets or buying some new ones.—
John Malone,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 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
-
Lawyers for Idaho’s longest-serving death row prisoner are renewing their efforts to spare him from execution after the state failed last year to put him to death by lethal injection.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
22 Aug. 2025
-
The argument has strengthened that disasters, even natural ones, are manmade if society fails to prevent them, and this view has been championed through campaigns such as #NoNaturalDisasters.—
Chloe Demrovsky,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Emaciate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emaciate. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share