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 The pups arrive skinny and malnourished, receive care and medical treatment and are released. Tara Ellison, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024 Severely malnourished children are emaciated and typically lethargic or even unconscious, have cold hands, a rapid pulse, low blood pressure, and may be close to dying. Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 2 Oct. 2024 Last year, a Clay County grand jury indicted Haslett, who is now 41 years old, after a malnourished woman, wearing a collar locked around her neck, ran to a neighbor’s house and said she had been restrained in a man’s basement in Excelsior Springs. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2024 Schock’s mother, Jan Thompson, told the Cascadia Daily News that her son was weak and malnourished. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for malnourished 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'malnourished.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 5 Nov. 2024.

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
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!