anorexia
Americannoun
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loss of appetite
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Also called: anorexia nervosa. a disorder characterized by fear of becoming fat and refusal of food, leading to debility and even death
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Loss of appetite, especially as a result of disease.
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Anorexia nervosa.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of anorexia
First recorded in 1590–1600; from New Latin, from Greek, from an- an- 1 + órex(is) “appetite, desire, longing” (from orég(ein) “to reach, stretch” + -sis -sis ) + -ia -ia
Compare meaning
How does anorexia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Anorexia is a serious medical disorder in which someone has no appetite, and so doesn't eat. If someone you know becomes so thin that it alarms you, they might have anorexia. Anorexia means "no appetite" in Greek. The full name of the medical disorder is anorexia nervosa, a very serious problem that causes people to starve themselves as the result of an emotional disturbance rather than a problem with food or digestion, or simply not being hungry.
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.
Two years after Mary-Kate Olsen checked herself into rehab for anorexia nervosa, eating disorders turned a hypercritical eye toward every young starlet.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026
There was also tragedy in their family life -- in 2016 their eldest daughter, Laurence, died aged 58, after a heart attack and having suffered with anorexia since 1974.
From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026
Three years ago, the organization’s then-chief legal advocacy officer—recently promoted to CEO—promised that Colorado’s legislation “does not and was never intended to apply to a person whose only diagnosis is anorexia nervosa.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
Food noise is also common in bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa.
From Science Daily • Dec. 8, 2025
When an animal began showing signs of anorexia, its condition deteriorated rapidly.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
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.
