What does metabolized mean?
Metabolized is the past tense and past participle of metabolize, meaning to undergo or cause chemical transformation through metabolic processes. It is especially common in biology, medicine, pharmacology, and nutrition, where it describes how the body, microorganisms, or other living systems break down substances such as nutrients, medicines, or toxins. For example, a drug may be described as rapidly metabolized by the liver when the liver processes it quickly and changes its chemical structure. The word can be used transitively, as in “the liver metabolized the medication,” or intransitively, as in “the bacteria metabolized sugar.” In a phrase such as “metabolized glucose,” the word also functions as a participial adjective describing a substance that has already undergone metabolic transformation. Although common in scientific contexts, metabolized is also understandable in general health and nutrition writing. It is not interchangeable with every synonym for “processed”: its specific meaning is connected to chemical change through metabolism rather than simple handling, movement, or examination.
To undergo or cause chemical transformation through metabolic processes, especially in a living organism.
"The liver metabolized the medication before it could reach the brain."
Can be transitive or intransitive; the spelling 'metabolised' is common in British English.
Having undergone metabolic transformation; chemically broken down or converted by metabolic processes.
"The metabolized glucose was transported into the cells for energy."
Usually used attributively, especially in technical and health-related contexts.
Every meal you eat becomes a chemical negotiation between your body and the nutrients it takes in.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does metabolized come from?
The word belongs to a family based on the Greek metabolē, meaning “change” or “transformation.” English scientific vocabulary developed the noun metabolism and the related forms metabolic and metabolite from this root during the growth of biological and chemical terminology in the 19th century. The verb metabolize was formed by adding the productive suffix -ize, and metabolized is its ordinary past tense and past participle. Related forms including metabolism, metabolic, metabolite, and metabolizable reflect the same shared origin.
Related word forms
How metabolized is actually used
The word is especially common in biology, medicine, pharmacology, and nutrition. It can be used transitively, as in 'the liver metabolized the drug,' or intransitively, as in 'the bacteria metabolized sugar.' British English also commonly uses the spelling 'metabolised.'