Standard Lemma guide

emaciate

adj · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • ĭ-mā′shē-āt′
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɪˈmeɪ̯.ʃiːˌeɪ̯t/
  • Canada, General-American: /ɪˈmeɪ̯.ʃiˌeɪ̯t/
  • Canada, General-American: /ɪˈmeɪ̯.siˌeɪ̯t/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ɪˈmæɪ̯.ʃiːˌæɪ̯t/
  • New-Zealand: /əˈmæɪ̯.ʃiːˌæɪ̯t/
  • Scotland: /ɪˈme.ʃiˌet/
  • rhymes with -eɪʃieɪt
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 M EY1 SH IY0 EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Emaciated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make extremely thin or wasted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To become extremely thin or wasted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

grow weak and thin or waste away physically

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She emaciated during the chemotherapy

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change state, turn

5

verb

Meaning 5

cause to grow thin or weak

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The treatment emaciated him

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: waste, macerate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: enfeeble, debilitate, drain

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ēmaciātus, perfect passive participle of ēmaciō (“to make lean, to cause to waste away”), from ex- (“out”) + maciēs (“leanness”), from macer (“thin”).

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: изтощавам (iztoštavam) — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Danish: slanke — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Danish: fortynde — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Dutch: uitmergelen — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Dutch: uithongeren — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • French: amaigrir — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • French: émacier — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Italian: emaciare — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Māori: kaikohi — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Māori: kohi — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Māori: whakahīroki — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Norwegian Bokmål: slanke — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Norwegian Bokmål: tynne — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Russian: истощать (istoščatʹ) — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Russian: изнуря́ть (iznurjátʹ) — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Spanish: demacrar — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Spanish: emaciar — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Uyghur: يادىماق (yadimaq) — (transitive) make extremely thin or wasted
  • Bulgarian: изтощавам се (iztoštavam se) — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • Danish: slanke sig — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • Dutch: verschrompelen — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • Dutch: vermageren — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • French: s'émacier — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • French: s'amaigrir — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • German: abmagern — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • German: ausmergeln — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • Italian: emaciarsi — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • Māori: hīroki — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • Norwegian Bokmål: slanke seg — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • Norwegian Bokmål: avmagres — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • Russian: истощаться (istoščatʹsja) — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • Russian: чахнуть (čaxnutʹ) — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • Spanish: demacrarse — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • Spanish: emaciarse — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted
  • Uyghur: يادىماق (yadimaq) — (intransitive) become extremely thin or wasted