malnourished

as in starving
not eating enough food or not eating enough healthy food; poorly nourished The malnourished children were slowly nursed back to health.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of malnourished Kennedy has also said that, in addition to vaccines, the CDC has sent vitamin A to help manage the outbreak, as it has been shown to ease symptoms in those who are malnourished and deficient in the vitamin. William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025 The use of vitamin A is sometimes recommended for infected patients, especially children, who are already malnourished or nutrient deficient, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Saleen Martin, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025 The findings revealed that the puppy was severely malnourished. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025 After police responded to a child welfare report by the baby’s health care provider, the boy was taken to St. Luke’s, where a doctor determined he was malnourished and in need of care, according to the subsequent lawsuit by St. Luke’s and trial testimony. Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for malnourished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malnourished
Adjective
  • At The Marine Mammal Center, undernourished, sick or injured elephant seal pups usually start trickling in during February, after beachgoers call the center’s hotline and specialists are dispatched to rescue them.
    Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The 2024 State of Food Security and Nutrition report estimated that by the end of this decade, 582 million people will be chronically undernourished, with more than half of them in Africa.
    Gil Press, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The stark consequences of Mr. Trump’s slashing of U.S. aid are evident in few places as clearly as in Sudan, where a brutal civil war has set off a staggering humanitarian catastrophe and left 25 million people — more than half of the country’s population — acutely hungry.
    Declan Walsh, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
  • When the new version of the Jets arrived in town, local fans were so hungry for an NHL team that tickets to the home opener went for $1,000 or more.
    Becky Sullivan, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Malnourished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malnourished. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on malnourished

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!