as in to weaken
to lose bodily strength or vigor
without adequate medical supplies, doctors could only look on helplessly as cholera victims continued to emaciate
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 emaciate
Ruby’s 10-year-old daughter was also found in the house emaciated, and the two women were arrested and held without bail.
—
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2024
At barely five pounds, Matilda was emaciated and clinging to life when the Monmouth County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals took her in.
—Kathleen Hopkins, USA TODAY, 30 May 2023
Six dead giraffes, bodies emaciated from the lack of food and water, photographed by Ed Ram, show the horror of Kenya’s prolonged ongoing drought, which has threatened and displaced animals and humans alike.
—Nell Lewis, CNN, 29 Mar. 2023
Past herds of cows wandering through busy settlements along the highway in search of water, so emaciated their ribs were showing.
—Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023
Many were emaciated, unlike the examples in the current study.
—Joshua Sokol, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2020
Three of them were severely malnourished and the rest were emaciated, according to the Sheriff's Office.
—James Carr, azcentral, 21 Feb. 2020
Detectives noted that much of the food in the home was locked away and that James' body was emaciated when found.
—Sarah Sarder, Houston Chronicle, 18 Feb. 2020
Scores of common murres, one of the most prolific seabirds, washed up on beaches, and many were emaciated, the researchers said.
—oregonlive, 21 Jan. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emaciate
Verb
-
And, in the process, weakening the ability of American tech companies, many of them based in California, to achieve their goals.—
-
Winds will continue to weaken later in the afternoon, while flooding across the high terrain in the Central Azores is also expected to subside.—
Verb
-
The present is always coming at us so hard and fast that the unexamined past fades more from consciousness in the echo chamber of the now.—
-
Nobody buys an Alfa Romeo to fade into the crowd.—
Verb
-
So if this plan goes into effect, the question of who makes up the Palestinian technocratic administration might certainly be one of the main stumbling blocks.—
-
Lock up your ticket and go hide.—
Verb
-
The counterculture had curdled, Vietnam was over but unsettled, and the economy sagged into stagflation.—
-
The Democratic Party’s brand — as well as the approval rating for some of the state’s top Democratic officials — has indeed sagged, even in solidly blue Colorado, according to a recent poll.—
Verb
-
What has yet to be determined is whether, just like Hawking radiation means that black holes will eventually evaporate, this form of cosmic radiation will fundamentally cause our Universe’s dark energy to decay away, too.—
-
His body has barely decayed, and his hair and teeth are still intact.—
Verb
-
The 2-point conversion attempt failed, but the Packers cut the gap to 21-6.—
-
Lawsuits also allege Liberty Utilities and construction companies failed to mark gas lines properly and respond to the leak in time, resulting in the boys death, severe injuries and property damage.—
Cite this Entry
“Emaciate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emaciate. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share