undernourished

American

[uhn-der-nur-isht, -nuhr-] / ˌʌn dərˈnɜr ɪʃt, -ˈnʌr- /

adjective

not nourished with sufficient or proper food to maintain or promote health or normal growth.
not given essential elements for proper development.

emotionally undernourished.

Usage

What does undernourished mean? Undernourished is an adjective that means not provided with enough food or nutrients to grow and develop in a healthy way.It comes from the past tense of the verb undernourish, meaning to fail to provide (or intentionally withhold) enough food or nutrients.The verb nourish means to promote healthy growth—to provide enough of what’s needed for someone or something to be healthy and to grow and develop. Nourish is most commonly used in relation to food, but can be used in figurative ways that don’t involve food: education nourishes our minds; a vacation can nourish our spirit.Undernourish and undernourished can also be used in these figurative ways, but both are usually used in the context of nutrition, especially in relation to children who are not provided with enough nourishing food. The adjective malnourished is similar but is often used in more extreme cases involving malnutrition.It’s also possible to use undernourished in the context of other living things that require nutrients, such as plants.Example: If we fail to provide healthy lunches that are available to all children, we will end up with a lot of undernourished students.

Other Word Forms

undernourishment noun

Etymology

Origin of undernourished

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

Compare meaning

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

malnourished vs. undernourished

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.

Nearly half of the country is undernourished, according to the United Nations, shrinking the potential pool of players.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

With Jacobsen in hand, I feel undernourished after every meal.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2025

When someone is underweight or undernourished, the immediate goal is medical stability—even if it means relying entirely on “safe foods” to get there.

From Slate • Jan. 4, 2025

“We always mention that malnutrition isn't just being undernourished, it's also overnourished also overweight and obese children, and very difficult to diet,” explains Dr Silvestre.

From BBC • Oct. 31, 2024

I even find myself telling her about how humanity is off course, how we’re overconnected, overstimulated, undernourished.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023