What does emaciated mean?
Emaciated describes a person or animal that has become abnormally thin and weak, typically through prolonged hunger, malnutrition, or disease. The word suggests more than ordinary slimness: an emaciated body appears gaunt and skeletal, with wasted flesh that signals serious deprivation or illness. It functions as an adjective and appears most often in medical reports, journalism about famines or rescues, and descriptions of neglected animals — phrases such as "an emaciated figure" or "visibly emaciated" are typical. Because of its gravity, it carries strongly negative connotations and would be inappropriate for describing someone who is merely slender. Derived from the Latin verb maciare, meaning to make lean, it entered English in the seventeenth century alongside the related noun emaciation. Its precision makes it valuable whenever a writer needs to convey extreme physical wasting without ambiguity or euphemism.
adjectiveAbnormally thin and weak, especially as a result of illness, hunger, or malnutrition; having lost so much flesh as to appear gaunt and skeletal.
- Abnormally thin and weak, especially from illness, hunger, or malnutrition.
"The rescued dog was emaciated, its ribs clearly visible beneath a dull, matted coat."
"After months adrift at sea, the castaways were found emaciated and barely able to walk."
"The documentary showed emaciated livestock standing in drought-stricken fields."
It shares a Latin root with 'macerate' — to soften by soaking — because both describe flesh wasting away.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of emaciated
Emaciated derives from the Latin verb maciare, meaning to make lean or waste away, which itself comes from macer, meaning thin or lean. The adjective entered English in the early seventeenth century, formed from the verb emaciate. It shares this Latin root with macerate, which took on the related sense of softening by soaking.
Related word forms
How emaciated is actually used
Emaciated is a formal to neutral word carrying strong negative connotation; it implies severe, often alarming thinness rather than mere slenderness, so it should not be used casually about someone who is simply slim. It is common in medical, journalistic, and animal-welfare contexts.
Easily confused with emaciated
Emaciated means abnormally thin from illness or starvation, while emancipated means freed from legal, social, or political restraint.