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

---

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

Network audiences are also skipping “The Faithful,” but its sluggishness isn’t to blame for the premiere’s anemic ratings.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 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

But training AI to take over human tasks could be considered a dark irony in today’s anemic job market.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 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

I always saved a little liver for Sam, so he wouldn’t get anemic too.

From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata

Related Words

• feeble
• frail
• sickly