anorexic

1 of 2

adjective

an·​orex·​ic ˌa-nə-ˈrek-sik How to pronounce anorexic (audio)
Synonyms of anorexicnext
1
: anorectic
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
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Adjective
Along with icons of anorexic saints, my childhood home was a place of books. — Eliza Griswold, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025 Other folks smight only have enough space for a pair of anorexic goats. — Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025 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 His maternal grandmother was anorexic. — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for anorexic

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

anorexia + -ic entry 1

Noun

derivative of anorexic entry 1, in part after French anorexique

First Known Use

Adjective

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anorexic was in 1849

Rhymes for anorexic

See All Rhymes for anorexic

Browse Nearby Words

anorexia nervosa
anorexic
anorexigenic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Anorexic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anorexic. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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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
: anorectic sense 1a
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

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for anorexic

Nglish: Translation of anorexic for Spanish Speakers

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