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Showing results for anemic. Search instead for asemic.
Synonyms

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.
anemic British  
/ əˈniːmɪk /

adjective

  1. 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

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The signs looked performative and anemic and the visual impact was poor.

From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026

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 • Feb. 17, 2026

“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 • Feb. 5, 2026

The Vikings look anemic on offense — Washington rout notwithstanding — and Brian Flores’ aggressive defensive scheme is vulnerable to Dak Prescott’s quick-hitting answers and man-beater routes.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2025

He will get a very high fever, and since his blood cells were damaged and cannot reproduce, he will also get anemic.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.