anaemic

[ uh-nee-mik ]

/ əˈni mɪk /

adjective

anemic.

Nearby words

Related formsnon·a·nae·mic, adjectivepseu·do·a·nae·mic, adjectiveun·a·nae·mic, adjective

anemic

or a·nae·mic

[ uh-nee-mik ]

/ əˈni mɪk /

adjective

Pathology. suffering from anemia.

lacking power, vigor, vitality, or colorfulness; listless; weak: an anemic effort; anemic tones.

Origin of anemic

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

Related formsa·ne·mi·cal·ly, adverbnon·a·ne·mic, adjectivepseu·do·a·ne·mic, adjectiveun·a·ne·mic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for anaemic

The clear, tranquil, anaemic moon encircled herself with her own radiance, basked in her own light.
The Created Legend|Feodor Sologub
A gaunt, anaemic southerner, who was with the party of idlers, spoke up.
A Son of the City|Herman Gastrell Seely
Then the mother arrived, an anaemic whirlwind of solicitude and maternal wrath.
When God Laughs and Other Stories|Jack London
Anaemic individuals are often subject to discomfort from hyperaemia of this nature.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 1|Various

"Don't you be in too much hurry about that door," said the anaemic cabman, anxiously.
The Invisible Man|H. G. Wells

British Dictionary definitions for anaemic

anaemic

US anemic

/ (əˈniːmɪk) /

adjective

relating to or suffering from anaemia

pale and sickly looking; lacking vitality

anemic

/ (əˈniːmɪk) /

adjective

the usual US spelling of anaemic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for anaemic

anaemic

adj.

c.1840; see anaemia + -ic. Figurative sense by 1898.

anemic

adj.

alternative (chiefly U.S.) spelling of anaemic (q.v.). See ae.