anemic

Or a·nae·mic

[uh-nee-mik]

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.

anemic

/ əˈniːmɪk /

adjective

1. the usual US spelling of anaemic

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of anemic¹

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

Example Sentences

But don’t expect a newly elected legislature to solve France’s deeper crises, which trace to a budget bloated with unsustainable spending that sucks life out of an anemic economy.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

So far, fundraising has been mostly anemic, at least according to the county’s most recent comprehensive campaign finance data available for the sheriff’s race, which covers only Jan. 1 through June 30.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Malnourished and anemic, and without direct access to a health clinic, he succumbs to a treatable illness.

Read more on Salon

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul called the spending cuts "wimpy and anemic" while saying the bill would "explode" the deficit, a claim backed up by an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office.

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Paul called the spending cuts in the bill "wimpy and anemic" and said the bill's "math doesn't add up."

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Related Words

• feeble 
• frail 
• sickly