malnourished

[mal-nur-isht, -nuhr-]

adjective

1. poorly or improperly nourished; suffering from malnutrition.

   thin, malnourished victims of the famine.

malnourished

/ mælˈnʌrɪʃt /

adjective

1. undernourished

Word History and Origins

Origin of malnourished¹

First recorded in 1925–30; mal- + nourish + -ed ²

Example Sentences

The exceptions may be for certain groups, including the severely malnourished, the elderly, women going through menopause, and people with chronic inflammatory conditions.

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The cubs, which were found malnourished earlier this year, were trapped by the UC Davis California Carnivores Program and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, according to the San Diego Humane Society.

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When authorities found the malnourished horse, he had so little body fat that his hip bone poked through his skin, which made it painful to lie on his side.

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"I took him to a clinic where they told me he's malnourished, but I don't have the money to keep taking him there," she says.

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When health experts used to refer to malnourished children, that was often read as those who were underweight.

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Related Words

• dehydrated www.thesaurus.com
• dying 
• emaciated 
• hungry 
• undernourished