ill-nourished

ill-nourished

A young child looks ill-nourished and thin.

Definition
  1. Adjective:
    • Lacking adequate food or nutrients: "ill-nourished" describes a person or animal that has not received enough proper nourishment, resulting in poor health, weakness, or stunted growth. It implies a state of being underfed or malnourished.
Usage Examples
  • (The dog had not been fed enough and was weak from lack of food.)
  • (These children do not get enough essential nutrients from their diet.)
  • (The cows were underfed, so their milk yield was low.)
Advanced Usage

  • "chronically ill-nourished": a persistent state of malnutrition over a long period.

    • The refugees had been chronically ill-nourished, leading to long-term health problems. (Their lack of proper food was ongoing and severe.)

  • "ill-nourished appearance": a visible look of thinness, pallor, or weakness due to poor diet.

    • His ill-nourished appearance worried the doctor. (He looked pale and underweight from inadequate eating.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Ill-nourishment (noun): the condition or state of being ill-nourished.

    • The study focused on the effects of ill-nourishment on cognitive development. (The condition of poor nutrition was examined.)

  • Nourish (verb): to provide with food or other substances necessary for life and growth.

    • A balanced diet helps nourish the body. (Good food supplies what the body needs.)

  • Malnourished (adjective): a synonym meaning poorly or insufficiently nourished, often with a medical connotation.

    • The malnourished patient was admitted to the hospital. (The patient was severely underfed.)
Synonyms

  • Underfed: not given enough food.

    • The underfed kitten was very thin. (It did not receive sufficient meals.)

  • Undernourished: not getting enough nutrients to maintain health.

    • Undernourished plants grow slowly. (They lack essential minerals and water.)
Related Idioms

  • "Skin and bones": extremely thin due to lack of food.

    • After weeks without food, he was just skin and bones. (He was very ill-nourished and emaciated.)

  • "On the brink of starvation": nearly dying from lack of food.

    • The ill-nourished hikers were on the brink of starvation when they were rescued. (They had almost no food left.)