malnourished

American  

[mal-nur-isht, -nuhr-] / mælˈnɜr ɪʃt, -ˈnʌr- /

adjective

1. poorly or improperly nourished; suffering from malnutrition.

   thin, malnourished victims of the famine.

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malnourished British  

/ mælˈnʌrɪʃt /

adjective

1. undernourished

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Etymology

Origin of malnourished

First recorded in 1925–30; mal- + nourish + -ed ²

Compare meaning

How does malnourished compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• malnourished vs. undernourished

Example Sentences

Several of these camps have made headlines as the women and children living in them are severely malnourished and lack access to basic resources.

From BBC

Anne said her daughter had "lost half her body weight" and showed "all the symptoms of being malnourished".

From BBC

At Banissa's main hospital, an influx of severely malnourished children -- some arriving from neighbouring Ethiopia -- has overwhelmed the paediatric ward.

From Barron's

Afghanistan's Taliban government said on Saturday its goal was "to help all malnourished children and mothers", after the United Nations warned that millions would experience acute malnutrition this year.

From Barron's

That’s when so much critical development takes place, and children who are malnourished can never make up the loss.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• dehydrated
• dying
• emaciated
• hungry
• undernourished