Anorexic

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ænəˈɹɛksɪk/

Definitions

1. Relating to or affected by a serious eating disorder characterized by extreme restriction of food intake and intense fear of gaining weight
2. Pertaining to a psychological condition that involves persistent refusal to eat due to an intense fear of weight gain, resulting in dangerously low body weight and distorted self-image
3. Describing a condition marked by an obsessive fear of weight gain that leads to severe food restriction and often results in dangerously low body weight and altered perception of self-image

Etymology: Ancient Greek "anorexia" was built from "an-", meaning "without", and "orexis", meaning "appetite" or "desire", itself from "oregein", "to stretch out toward" or "to reach for". So the Greek word literally meant "lack of appetite," and it was used in that plain sense long before anyone attached it to a disease. English took the term from Greek as "anorexia," and the adjective "anorexic" was formed in English by adding the suffix "-ic" to it. The suffix comes through Latin "-icus" and Old French "-ique," and it simply marks a word as relating to something. The adjective therefore means "relating to anorexia," which is the sense the word carries today.

Synonyms: underweight, emaciated, gaunt, skeletal, thin

Antonyms: overweight, obese, plump, chubby, heavy