Emaciate
/ɪˈmeɪʃiˌeɪt/
verbC2
Definition
Emaciate means to lose a lot of weight and become very thin, often in an unhealthy way. This usually happens because a person or animal is sick or does not have enough food to eat. It is more serious than just being slim or thin.
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To become extremely thin and weak because of illness or lack of food
- •The prisoner began to emaciate after weeks without proper meals.
- •The stray dog looked emaciated and needed urgent care.
- •Patients with severe diseases may emaciate quickly if not treated.
(Less common) To cause someone or something to become very thin or weak
- •The disease emaciated the patient within a few months.
- •Long periods of starvation can emaciate animals in the wild.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "emaciate" like "thin," but much stronger and more serious—like very, very thin because of sickness or hunger.
- ✓Picture a person or animal who looks very weak and their bones are easy to see under the skin.
- ✓It is the feeling you get when you see someone who looks tired and fragile because they have not eaten enough.
- ✓Sounds like "ee-MAY-she-ate" → imagine someone saying "May I eat?" but they cannot because they are too weak and thin.
- ✓In stories or movies, emaciated characters often show suffering or hardship, such as people in famine or serious illness.
- ✓NOT like "slim" (healthy thin), emaciate means unhealthy and extreme thinness.
- ✓NOT like "lose weight" (which can be healthy or intentional), emaciate is mostly unintentional and bad for health.
Try Other Words
- •Waste away: to become very weak and thin because of illness or lack of food (Use when describing slow loss of weight and strength)
- •Starve: to suffer or die because of no food (Use when emphasizing lack of food as cause)
- •Thin out: to become less thick (Use when talking about less serious or natural thinning)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: prefix "e-" (variant of "ex-", meaning out or away) + root "maci-" from Latin "macies" meaning thinness + suffix "-ate" (verb form)
- •Etymology: From Latin "emaciat-" meaning made thin, from "emaciare" meaning to make thin or lean
- •Historical development: Used since the 1600s in English to describe unhealthy thinness, especially from disease or hunger
- •Modern usage: Mostly used in medical or literary contexts to describe extreme thinness and weakness
Reflect & Connect
•How does the word "emaciate" help us understand the serious effects of illness or hunger on the body?
•Can you think of situations where someone might emaciate even if they have enough food? What might cause that?
Fill in the blanks
1.People who emaciate usually suffer from serious ___ or lack of ___ for a long time.
2.When a person emaciates, their bones often become ___ visible under the skin.
3.Emaciate is different from just being thin because it shows ___ or ___ health problems.
4.Doctors try to help patients who emaciate by giving them proper ___ and ___ care.
5.Animals in harsh winters may emaciate if they cannot find enough ___ to eat.
6.The phrase "emaciate ___" means to cause someone or something to become very thin and weak.
7.If someone loses weight by choice and stays healthy, we do NOT say they ___.