malnourished
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of malnourished
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How does malnourished compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When someone's malnourished, they don't get enough to eat. Beyond simply being hungry, someone who's malnourished doesn't get the nutrients they need to be healthy. Poor countries and those experiencing drought or war are the most likely to have a high percentage of malnourished citizens. If crops can't grow, or food can't be distributed to people who need it, the result is a malnourished population. A malnourished person suffers from malnutrition. Both words use the mal- prefix, meaning "badly," and the Latin root nutrire, "to feed."
Vocabulary lists containing malnourished
Among the Hidden
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Between Shades of Gray
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The War That Saved My Life
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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.
We saw another mother with a malnourished baby being turned away.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
“Credible information was received indicating that many of the cats were sick, malnourished and in need of medical attention,” the statement read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
She said professionals were still finding stark levels of poverty in the region, including a malnourished baby admitted to hospital in Newcastle.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
The carcasses of malnourished sea lions and whales washed up on beaches.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
She imagines her granddaughter pale, gliding through paleness, malnourished and cold without the food of scarlets and greens.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
