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.
Megan Shaw, from Bournemouth, has taken to TikTok to publicly commit to Anorexia Nervosa recovery, educating and inspiring hundreds of others along the way.
From BBC • Dec. 21, 2023
Anorexia is rare in men, who account for only 10 percent of diagnoses.
From Slate • Oct. 4, 2023
Every year over 10,000 die from an eating disorder, according to data cited by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 23, 2023
It's also shockingly high compared to research from The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, which shows that 9% of the general U.S. population will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.
From Salon • Oct. 28, 2022
Anorexia was usually complete during pyrexia, and not rarely patients were admitted to the hospital who asserted that for one or more days they had not taken any nourishment whatever.
From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various
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.
