anorexic

1 of 2

adjective

an·​orex·​ic ˌa-nə-ˈrek-sik How to pronounce anorexic (audio)
1
2
: relating to, characteristic of, or affected with anorexia nervosa
also : seemingly affected with anorexia nervosa as by being excessively skinny

anorexic

2 of 2

noun

: a person affected with or as if with anorexia nervosa

Examples of anorexic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
At once too frigid and too promiscuous within the terms of early psychoanalysis, the anorexic woman’s appetites (or lack thereof) were a threat to the cultural order. Anna Shechtman, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 From much of the plaza, yet another anorexic supertall for squillionaires, rising at 29th Street, now blots it out. Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023 The anorexic girl is a victim of improper consumption. Anna Shechtman, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2021 In February, her daughter passed out—probably from low blood pressure, a common health complication in anorexic patients—and went to the emergency room. Sumathi Reddy, WSJ, 21 June 2021 Her oldest daughter, Sadie, 26, speaks up when her mom’s anorexic behaviors flare. Deanna Weniger, Twin Cities, 28 Dec. 2019 His team has previously found cancer patients with an anorexic and muscle-wasting syndrome called cachexia also have high blood levels of GDF15. Roni Dengler, Science | AAAS, 21 Mar. 2018 His treatment for anorexic girls involved sitting the whole family down for lunch and urging the parents to use all means to get their daughters to eat. Faye Fiore, Washington Post, 4 Nov. 2017 Yet the building itself is almost anorexic in its proportions, with 13 floors soaring over a lot barely 30 feet wide. Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2017
Noun
Let’s get rid of Infirmary Feminism, with its bedlam of bellyachers, anorexics, bulimics, depressives, rape victims and incest survivors. Dwight Garner, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anorexic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anorexic was in 1875

Dictionary Entries Near anorexic

Cite this Entry

“Anorexic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anorexic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

anorexic

adjective
an·​orex·​ic
ˌan-ə-ˈrek-sik
: affected with anorexia nervosa

Medical Definition

anorexic

1 of 2 adjective
an·​orex·​ic -ˈrek-sik How to pronounce anorexic (audio)
1
2
: relating to, characteristic of, or affected with anorexia nervosa

anorexic

2 of 2 noun
: a person affected with anorexia nervosa

More from Merriam-Webster on anorexic

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