emaciate
C1Formal
Definition
Meaning
to cause to become extremely thin and weak, especially through lack of proper nutrition or illness.
To waste away physically; to deprive of flesh, substance, or vitality. Often used figuratively to describe something reduced to a weak or impoverished state.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Most commonly used as a past participle adjective ('emaciated') to describe a person's or animal's appearance. The verb form is less frequent and often appears in medical, humanitarian, or literary contexts. Implies a severe, unhealthy, and often distressing thinness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Identical connotations of severe malnourishment, illness, or neglect.
Frequency
Equally formal and low-frequency in both varieties. The adjective 'emaciated' is more common than the verb in all contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb trans.] The illness emaciated him.[verb intrans., rare] Without food, he began to emaciate.[be/get + past participle adj.] She was emaciated after the long ordeal.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms with 'emaciate'. The state is often described as 'skin and bones' or 'a bag of bones'.]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Potentially in reports on humanitarian crises affecting workforce health.
Academic
Used in medical, biological, and sociological texts to describe effects of starvation, disease, or extreme conditions.
Everyday
Rare in casual speech. Might be used to describe a very thin stray animal or a person after severe illness.
Technical
Clinical term in medicine and veterinary science to describe a state of severe body mass loss and muscle atrophy.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Prolonged famine will emaciate even the strongest individuals.
- The veterinarian warned that the parasitic infection could emaciate the livestock.
American English
- The disease rapidly emaciated the patient, leaving him bedridden.
- Years of neglect had emaciated the once-majestic horse.
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial form. 'Emaciatingly' is extremely rare and non-standard.]
American English
- [No standard adverbial form. 'Emaciatingly' is extremely rare and non-standard.]
adjective
British English
- The rescuers found an emaciated dog tied outside the abandoned house.
- Images of emaciated refugees stirred international concern.
American English
- After his hike was derailed, the lost hiker was found emaciated but alive.
- The documentary showed emaciated children in the drought-stricken region.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The stray cat was very thin and looked emaciated.
- After being sick for weeks, he became quite thin.
- The photographs from the prison camp showed emaciated prisoners with hollow eyes.
- A lack of proper nutrients can emaciate the human body over time.
- The psychological stress of the ordeal, coupled with scarce rations, began to emaciate the hostages.
- Advanced stages of the illness are characterised by an emaciated appearance and profound weakness.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'I'm a skeleton, ate?' -> EMACIATE -> to become as thin as a skeleton because you haven't eaten.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS SUBSTANCE / HEALTH IS FULLNESS. To emaciate is to have one's vital substance drained away.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with Russian 'истощать' (to exhaust resources) in all contexts. 'Emaciate' is specifically about the physical body. The closer Russian equivalent is 'истощать физически' or 'доводить до крайнего истощения'. The adjective 'emaciated' is best translated as 'истощённый' or 'измождённый'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'emaciate' to mean simply 'lose a little weight'. It denotes an extreme state. Misspelling as 'emansiate' or 'emacate'. Incorrect part of speech: 'He looks very emaciate' (should be 'emaciated').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'emaciate' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a formal, low-frequency word. The adjective 'emaciated' is more commonly encountered than the verb 'emaciate'.
'Thin' is neutral. 'Skinny' is informal and can be neutral or slightly negative. 'Emaciated' is a strong, formal term implying an unhealthy, severe, and often distressing thinness due to starvation or illness.
Yes, but it's less common. For example: 'Years of budget cuts have emaciated the public library system,' meaning it has been reduced to a weak, impoverished state.
The related noun is 'emaciation' (e.g., 'the emaciation of the patients was evident').