anorexic

American  

[an-uh-rek-sik] / ˌæn əˈrɛk sɪk /

noun

1. a person who has or experiences anorexia or especially anorexia nervosa.

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adjective

1. relating to, resembling, or affected by anorexia.

2. anorectic.

Etymology

Origin of anorexic

First recorded in 1960–65; anorex(ia) + -ic

Explanation

A disorder that causes loss of appetite or an obsession with losing weight is called anorexia. People who suffer from anorexia restrict their food and often have elaborate rituals around preparing it. Though most people think of the mental disorder known as anorexia nervosa when they hear the word anorexia, it actually describes the lack of appetite that's caused by any illness, mental or physical. The word has had this meaning in English since the 16th century, from the Greek anorexia, with its roots of an-, "without," and orexis, "appetite" or "desire."

Example Sentences

All of my friends are, like, anorexic basically, or have some form of eating disorder, so it’s hard to get people to eat fattening food with me.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2025

She was anorexic, asthmatic, immunocompromised, and uncoordinated, and her prescription medication was ineffective.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2024

From much of the plaza, yet another anorexic supertall for squillionaires, rising at 29th Street, now blots it out.

From New York Times • Oct. 25, 2023

Looking critically at the term, though, takes us back to the American choreographer and ballet visionary George Balanchine, who founded the New York City Ballet in 1948, essentially inventing neoclassical ballet and anorexic ballerinas.

From Slate • Jul. 8, 2023

They think being anorexic makes them special, makes them better than everybody else.

From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie