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Synonyms

emaciated

American  
[ih-mey-shee-ey-tid] / ɪˈmeɪ ʃiˌeɪ tɪd /

adjective

  1. marked by emaciation.

    Synonyms:
    scrawny, haggard, gaunt, puny, wasted, thin
emaciated British  
/ ɪˈmeɪsɪˌeɪtɪd /

adjective

  1. abnormally thin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • unemaciated adjective

Etymology

Origin of emaciated

First recorded in 1655–65; emaciate + -ed 2

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.

Foot-and-mouth causes fever and blisters near the hoof and in the mouth that prevent animals from feeding, as seen in the emaciated survivors.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Officers searched him and found two emaciated and potentially sedated orange-fronted parakeets — the victims of an alleged botched smuggling attempt — stuffed in his underwear, according to court documents.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

Another woman said her husband looked emaciated when she saw him inside.

From Barron's • Jan. 10, 2026

He was emaciated, his ribs piercing, nearing death.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2025

The emaciated, dirty, bearded face: its eyes never even blinked.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

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.