as in starvation
the unhealthy condition that results from not eating enough food or not eating enough healthy food; poor nutrition
a program to help poor children suffering from malnutrition
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Recent Examples of malnutrition
Duerr and Jaret Davey, a volunteer coordinator at Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, said several birds have also come in with raging fungal infections in their lungs — the type of infection an animal gets only when its immune system has been suppressed by disease or malnutrition.
—
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Feeding stale bread to birds is a relatively common practice, but bread lacks the nutrients birds need and can lead to malnutrition.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2026
Famine occurs when at least 20% of households in an area face an extreme lack of food, at least 30% of children suffer from acute malnutrition, and two out of every 10,000 people are dying each day because of hunger.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 17 May 2026
Hospital is an oasis Inside the sprawling slum, where gang violence has left scores of children orphaned, rapes of women and girls are frequent and cholera, hunger and malnutrition remain entrenched, La Fontaine is widely seen as both an oasis and a lifeline.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for malnutrition
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Feeding stale bread to birds is a relatively common practice, but bread lacks the nutrients birds need and can lead to malnutrition.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2026
Famine occurs when at least 20% of households in an area face an extreme lack of food, at least 30% of children suffer from acute malnutrition, and two out of every 10,000 people are dying each day because of hunger.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 17 May 2026
Hospital is an oasis Inside the sprawling slum, where gang violence has left scores of children orphaned, rapes of women and girls are frequent and cholera, hunger and malnutrition remain entrenched, La Fontaine is widely seen as both an oasis and a lifeline.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for malnutrition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malnutrition
starvation
Noun
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Because pets lack the natural instincts to survive in the wild, this practice frequently exposes them to starvation, extreme weather, vehicle accidents or fatal attacks by wildlife.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
2 June 2026
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The villagers on the rock had ripped clothes and dirty faces, seemingly stunned that they had been found alive in the race against starvation and suffocation.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Malnutrition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malnutrition. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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