malnourished

adjective

mal·​nour·​ished ˌmal-ˈnər-isht How to pronounce malnourished (audio)
-ˈnə-risht
: supplied with less than the minimum or an unbalanced amount of the nutrients or foods essential for sound health and growth : marked by malnutrition
When it comes to certain nutrients, in fact, an estimated 80 to 90 percent of obese individuals are malnourished.Maria Konnikova
especially : undernourished sense 1
How do you help malnourished children and assure that they won't go hungry again after you leave? Melissa Hendricks
Patients may become malnourished from being unable to take food by mouth … Laura Landro

Examples of malnourished in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Neighborhoods near grocery stores don’t have more malnourished residents. Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2025 Bentley brought Damian to her brother Rick Chambers, who took the miniature pinscher to the vet because the dog looked skinny but not malnourished. Colson Thayer, People.com, 29 Jan. 2025 The women were arrested in August 2023 after Franke’s malnourished 12-year-old son climbed out of a window at Hildebrandt’s house in Ivins, Utah, and ran to a neighbour’s house in search of food and water. Peter White, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2025 The Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation into conditions at Fulton County Jail nearly a year after the body of a malnourished man covered in lice was found in a filthy cell in the jail's mental health unit. N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for malnourished 

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of malnourished was in 1911

Dictionary Entries Near malnourished

Cite this Entry

“Malnourished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malnourished. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

malnourished

adjective
mal·​nour·​ished (ˈ)mal-ˈnər-isht How to pronounce malnourished (audio)
-ˈnə-risht
: poorly nourished : undernourished

Medical Definition

malnourished

adjective
mal·​nour·​ished (ˈ)mal-ˈnər-isht, -ˈnə-risht How to pronounce malnourished (audio)
: supplied with less than the minimum or an unbalanced amount of the nutrients or foods essential for sound health and growth : marked by malnutrition
When it comes to certain nutrients, in fact, an estimated 80 to 90 percent of obese individuals are malnourished.Maria Konnikova
especially : undernourished
How do you help malnourished children and assure that they won't go hungry again after you leave? Melissa Hendricks
Patients may become malnourished from being unable to take food by mouth … Laura Landro
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