What does undernourish mean?
Undernourish means to provide someone with too little food or nourishment, especially over a sustained period. It is used for a serious condition in which people do not receive enough nutrients to maintain health and well-being, rather than simply missing a meal or occasionally eating less than usual. The verb can describe the action affecting individuals or groups, as in statements about poverty, war, famine, or inadequate food distribution. Its related forms are especially common: undernourished describes a person or population that lacks sufficient nourishment, while undernourishment names the condition itself. The word has a formal, often medical or social-policy tone and conveys more than ordinary hunger by implying a persistent failure to meet nutritional needs. Although undernourish is relatively uncommon as a verb, it is a precise way to describe a cause of inadequate nourishment, distinguishing that act from the resulting condition.
verbTo provide someone with insufficient food or nourishment, especially over time.
- To fail to provide enough food or nourishment to someone, especially as a continuing condition.
"The families were unable to provide enough food to undernourish their children."
"Poor harvests left many families unable to feed their children properly, threatening to undernourish an entire community."
"The report warns that severe poverty can undernourish people even when they receive a small daily ration of food."
The word describes a failure measured not by an empty plate, but by too little nourishment over time.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does undernourish come from?
Undernourish was formed in English by combining the prefix under- with nourish. The prefix under- comes from Old English and indicates insufficiency, while nourish comes through Old French norrir from Latin nutrire, meaning to feed or nurture. Its use belongs to the development of modern English vocabulary concerned with nutrition and public health. Its relatives nourishment, nutrition, and nutritious share the same Latin foundation.
Related word forms
How undernourish is actually used
Undernourish is a formal or technical verb and is less common in everyday speech than the adjective undernourished or the noun undernourishment.
Easily confused with undernourish
Undernourish is a verb describing the act of providing too little food, whereas undernourished is an adjective describing someone who has received insufficient nourishment.