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

He had been plagued by injuries and an anemic bat.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But in the real economy, the anemic peso remains a threat to Argentine stability, investment and growth.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

For all the endless chatter about false allegations in the past few years, the reality of such incidents has been anemic to non-existent.

Read more on Salon

In animal studies, this innovative formula successfully restored healthy blood iron levels in anemic mice while preventing inflammation and keeping the gut microbiome balanced.

Read more on Science Daily

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

Related Words

• feeble 
• frail 
• sickly