anemic

American  

[uh-nee-mik] / əˈni mɪk /

Or anaemic

adjective

1. Pathology. affected with anemia; having a deficiency of the hemoglobin, often accompanied by a reduced number of red blood cells.

2. lacking power, vigor, vitality, or colorfulness; listless; weak.

   an anemic effort;

   anemic tones.

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anemic British  

/ əˈniːmɪk /

adjective

1. the usual US spelling of anaemic

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Other Word Forms

• anemically adverb
• nonanemic adjective
• pseudoanemic adjective
• unanemic adjective

Etymology

Origin of anemic

First recorded in 1830–40; anem(ia) + -ic

Example Sentences

The IMF projected last year that Iran’s economy would grow by an anemic 1% in 2026, the slowest rate in the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fifteen years of anemic supply following the 2008-09 financial crisis had left bondholders starved for new muni debt, a favorite of wealthy American households because it pays out interest exempt from federal income taxes.

From The Wall Street Journal

“America is experiencing a jobless boom with strong growth and anemic hiring,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union.

From Barron's

The past several years of anemic housing demand called for a strategy shift.

From Barron's

The most popular streaming series are watched by total audiences so anemic they would have been quickly canceled by television networks in the 1990s.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• feeble
• frail
• sickly