Definition

Having a diet that does not provide enough nutrients or calories, leading to poor health.

Example

The children in the village were malnourished due to a lack of food and resources.

Conversation

I read an article about children who are malnourished due to lack of proper food.

That's really sad. It’s hard to believe so many suffer like that.

Yeah, it makes you appreciate what we have so much more.

Absolutely, we should do something to help those in need.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Malnourished → It is formed from "mal-" (meaning bad or ill) and "nourish" (from Old French *nourrir*, meaning to feed or provide sustenance) and the suffix "-ed" (indicating a state or condition). The word "malnourished" describes a state of being poorly fed or lacking proper nutrition.

Memory Tip

Think of 'mal-' meaning bad and 'nourish' meaning to feed — so malnourished means being fed poorly.

Visually Confused Words