metabolic

American  

[met-uh-bol-ik] / ˌmɛt əˈbɒl ɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or affected by metabolism.

2. undergoing metamorphosis.

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Usage

What does metabolic mean? Metabolic describes something that is related to or is affected by metabolism, as in Dr. Petrov discovered the patient’s illness had metabolic causes. Your metabolism is the sum of the physical and chemical processes in your body needed to sustain life by producing energy. In humans, metabolism involves a large number of different organs and tissues. For this reason, the word metabolic is frequently used in medicine, nutrition, and other health sciences to discuss the digestive system, circulatory system, and other bodily processes. Example: While studying the birds, the researchers conducted intense studies of the animals’ metabolic rate increases during prolonged flights.

Other Word Forms

• hypermetabolic
  adjective
• metabolically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of metabolic

First recorded in 1735–45; from Greek metabolikós “changeable,” from metabol(ḗ) “change” + -ikos -ic; see metabolism

Explanation

The adjective metabolic describes anything relating to the processes in the body that change food into energy. The high metabolic rate of an endurance athlete requires them to eat enormous meals. Metabolic processes are incredibly complicated, and they happen at the cellular level in human (and non-human) bodies. Turning calories from food into energy which keeps a body moving is just the simplest way to think about metabolic activity. When you consider the change that occurs (a peanut butter and jelly sandwich transforming into energy you use to play a soccer game), the root of metabolic makes total sense: it's the Greek metabole, "a change."

Example Sentences

Loos, a professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, wrote in an accompanying commentary in Nature.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

A second, eight-week randomised trial published in the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders - conducted at Delhi's Fortis C-DOC with Indian Council of Medical Research funding - has reinforced the findings.

From BBC • Aug. 15, 2025

Bon is an artist and founding director of L.A.-based Metabolic Studio, a not-for-profit interdisciplinary art and research hub that explores environmental issues.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2025

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, is an umbrella term describing conditions related to a buildup of fat in the liver.

From Salon • Jul. 24, 2024

Metabolic products of bacterial activity—e. g., toxins in solution.

From The Elements of Bacteriological Technique A Laboratory Guide for Medical, Dental, and Technical Students. Second Edition Rewritten and Enlarged. by Eyre, J. W. H. (John William Henry)