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.

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anemic British  

/ əˈniːmɪk /

adjective

1. the usual US spelling of anaemic

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of anemic

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

Explanation

Sometimes you can tell just from looking at someone's pale face and lips that they're anemic. If you're anemic, your body has a shortage of healthy red blood cells. Often when someone's diagnosed as being anemic, they're counseled to eat more foods that contain iron, which can help rebuild the red blood cells in their body. Besides looking pale, an anemic person is often tired and weak. Another, non-medical, meaning of anemic is simply "lacking in vitality or energy." Both meanings come originally from the Greek anaimia, "lack of blood." The British spelling of anemic is anaemic.

Related Words

• feeble
• frail
• sickly