UNDERWEIGHT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does underweight mean? 

• UNDERWEIGHT (adjective)
  The adjective UNDERWEIGHT has 1 sense:

1. being very thin

  Familiarity information: UNDERWEIGHT used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• UNDERWEIGHT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Being very thin

Synonyms:

boney; bony; scraggly; scraggy; scrawny; skinny; underweight; weedy

Context example:

pale bony hands

Similar:

lean; thin (lacking excess flesh)

 Context examples 

The research also highlighted the ways in which underweight people pay greater attention to natural foods and overweight people to processed foods.

(Our Weight Tells How We Assess Food, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Underweight means that it is lower than it should be for your health.

(Body Weight, NIH)

In a woman with an underweight pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), i.e. less than 18.5, the weight gained during pregnancy does not exceed a total weight gain of 28 lbs.

(Low Weight Gain in Pregnancy, NCI Thesaurus)

In a woman with an underweight pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), i.e. less than 18.5, the weight gained during pregnancy exceeds a total weight gain of 40 lbs.

(Excessive Weight Gain in Pregnancy, NCI Thesaurus)

Most baboons made it, but the drought left them underweight and many females stopped ovulating.

(Born during a drought: Bad news for baboons, NSF)