emaciated 1 of 2

adjective

i-ˈmā-shē-ˌā-təd How to pronounce emaciated (audio)
Definition of emaciatednext
as in gaunt
suffering extreme weight loss as a result of hunger or disease the emaciated bodies of the survivors of the concentration camps

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

emaciated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of emaciate
as in faded
to lose bodily strength or vigor without adequate medical supplies, doctors could only look on helplessly as cholera victims continued to emaciate

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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 emaciated
Adjective
Day centers for the elderly are rife with scabies and anemia; the seniors are emaciated, malnourished, and unclean. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026 Many of the chihuahuas are emaciated and have varying illnesses, fleas and other medical concerns, according to Humane Indiana staff. — Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 Officers found Arabella Nix was severely emaciated, with her body completely covered in bruises and scars, according to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Aug. 2026 Ultimately, Etna’s closest bond is with the itinerant medic Hong who nurses his emaciated, shrapnel-scarred body. — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for emaciated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emaciated
  1. gaunt
  2. faded
  3. haggard
  4. weakened
  5. skeletal
  6. sagged
Adjective
  • The group last played a public show on July 18 in Valdosta, Georgia, following an uneven few months where Love appeared gaunt and sang in a raspy, diminished voice.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Apple was widely criticized in the late 2000s for not volunteering more information about Jobs’ health, especially as concerns about his gaunt appearance battered the company’s shares.
    — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of gaunt
Verb
  • The ritual has faded and has been downgraded to a monthly reception.
    — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • This seemed at the time like the biggest misstep of Stearns’ tenure, as the Brewers faded afterward and missed the playoffs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of faded
Adjective
  • The songs on Purdy also have the tone of journal entries, detailing haggard trips to the grocery store, daydreams about his young daughters’ glamorous adult lives, and observations about the banality of oppression.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Xbox, despite its increasingly haggard reputation, has announced backwards compatibility for PC.
    — Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of haggard
Verb
  • Economist Thomas Philippon calculates that weakened competition costs the typical household about $300 a month.
    — Christopher Marquis, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Houthis are the crown jewel in this network, given how much Hezbollah has been weakened.
    — Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of weakened
Adjective
  • But the archaeologists who excavated the new skeletal fragments from Shanidar Cave in the Kurdistan region of Iraq say the fossils weave a complex tale of Neanderthal life and death, beyond what appeared to be deliberate violence.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Leon has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, skeletal dysplasia and microcephaly.
    — Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of skeletal
Verb
  • In the grayness that should have been sunrise that morning, dark clouds sagged baggily over the very treetops, bulging as if ready to split under their liquid weight.
    — Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Somehow, however, that team, which sagged to 0-7, won five of its last nine games and finished 5-11.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sagged

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Cite this Entry

“Emaciated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emaciated. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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