as in starving
not eating enough food or not eating enough healthy food; poorly nourished
The malnourished children were slowly nursed back to health.
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Recent Examples of malnourished
When the malnourished cubs were found, the UC Davis California Carnivores Program team worked with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to rescue the pair, the nonprofit said.
—
Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Even after deliveries resumed, much of the population remained dangerously malnourished.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 23 Sep. 2025
Undernutrition deaths happen ‘almost every month’ Hassan Abubakar Bukar, a nutrition counsellor in Borno, told CNN that malnourished children are a painfully common sight.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2025
The World Health Organization recommends that acutely malnourished children be fed energy-dense foods, such as nut butters and sweet potatoes, and sometimes these can be found locally.
—Pablo Robles, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malnourished
Daniella Segura, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Even after deliveries resumed, much of the population remained dangerously malnourished.
—Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, The Atlantic, 23 Sep. 2025
Undernutrition deaths happen ‘almost every month’ Hassan Abubakar Bukar, a nutrition counsellor in Borno, told CNN that malnourished children are a painfully common sight.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2025
The World Health Organization recommends that acutely malnourished children be fed energy-dense foods, such as nut butters and sweet potatoes, and sometimes these can be found locally.
—Pablo Robles, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malnourished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malnourished
Adjective
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Fueling your body inadequately will leave you feeling dissatisfied and undernourished.—
Jamie Johnson,
Verywell Health,
10 Oct. 2025
-
In addition to dealing with mange, both puppies were undernourished and infested with intestinal worms.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Plus, having some extra small plates around before the big meal is a clever way to keep hungry family members out of the kitchen.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
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But then as now, people cherished the underdog aspect of the album — the artist taking a stand, defying the odds, staying hungry.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Malnourished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malnourished. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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