What does undernourished mean?
Undernourished describes a person, animal, or other organism that has not received enough food to maintain health or grow properly. The word is especially common in medical, humanitarian, and agricultural contexts, where it identifies inadequate nutrition as a cause or condition of concern. In everyday use, it is stronger and more specific than hungry: hunger may be temporary, whereas undernourishment implies persistent deprivation. Undernourished can also be used figuratively of a person, organization, or creative field deprived of resources, support, or opportunity, although that extension is less frequent. The adjective may appear before a noun, as in an undernourished child, or after one, as in the child was undernourished. Related forms include the noun undernourishment and the familiar root nourish, from which nutrition, nutrient, and nutritious also derive. Overall, the word combines a plain, forceful meaning with enough precision to distinguish inadequate nourishment from other forms of poor health.
adjectiveInadequately nourished; having received too little food or nourishment to maintain health or proper growth.
- Inadequately nourished, especially through insufficient food or caloric intake.
- Figuratively, deprived of the resources, support, or stimulation needed for healthy development or flourishing.
"The charity provides meals and medical care for undernourished children."
"Malnutrition left the child weak and seriously undernourished."
"The sparse pasture left the horses undernourished throughout the winter."
Undernourished means more than hungry: it describes too little nourishment over time to maintain health and thrive.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does undernourished come from?
Undernourished is an English compound of the prefix under- and the verb nourish. Under- comes from Latin sub-, meaning beneath or under, while nourish developed through Middle English from Old French norrir and ultimately from Latin nutrire, meaning to nourish or rear. Modern English joined these elements to describe a condition of receiving insufficient nourishment. Related words deriving from the same Latin root include nutrition, nutritious, and nutrient.
Related word forms
How undernourished is actually used
The word is common in medical, humanitarian, and agricultural contexts and is usually formal to neutral in register. It can be used attributively or predicatively; figurative uses are less frequent than literal ones.
Easily confused with undernourished
Undernourished emphasizes receiving too little food, whereas malnourished more broadly denotes a deficiency of essential nutrients or the physical effects of poor nutrition.