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 Conversely, reduced levels of leptin found in people who are malnourished have been linked to decreased immunity.14 High leptin levels do not necessarily mean less hunger since people with obesity can have increased leptin levels and leptin resistance. Allison Herries, Verywell Health, 6 Aug. 2024 News organizations used them in stories about malnourished children in Gaza. Joe Snell, Washington Post, 30 July 2024 The 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, 12 July 2024 After being taken in by the shelter, her sick and malnourished kittens passed away. Ronnie Li, USA TODAY, 5 July 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 19 Aug. 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
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