as in starvation
the unhealthy condition that results from not eating enough food or not eating enough healthy food; poor nutrition
a program to help poor children suffering from malnutrition
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of malnutrition
The piece details how the aid cuts led Mercy Corps to end a program that treated acute malnutrition in the region, and how a child who had been enrolled in the program then died.
—
Stat Staff, STAT, 29 Dec. 2025
Stray pets have not been spared; countless dogs and cats were abandoned as families fled, leading to a surge in malnutrition, diseases like parvovirus, anemia and respiratory infections.
—Tavleen Tarrant, NBC news, 28 Dec. 2025
Birds fed only bread also may suffer the effects of malnutrition or become more susceptible to diseases.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2025
Older adults without home care aides face higher risks of falls, malnutrition and medication errors.
—Bedassa Tadesse, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malnutrition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malnutrition
starvation
Noun
-
Famine conditions in Gaza City have eased since the ceasefire began in October, but the situation remains critical, with the entire strip still at risk of starvation, according to a report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the world’s leading authority on food crises.—
-
By 1900, only a precious few Blackfeet had made it through the gantlet of smallpox, warfare, starvation, and Christianization.—
Cite this Entry
“Malnutrition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malnutrition. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
