anemic

adjective

ane·​mic ə-ˈnē-mik How to pronounce anemic (audio)
Synonyms of anemicnext
1
: relating to or affected with anemia
The blood test indicated that he was slightly anemic.
2
a
: lacking force, vitality, or spirit
an anemic rendition of the song
anemic efforts at enforcement
b
: lacking interest or savor (see savor entry 1 sense 3) : insipid
anemic wines
c
: lacking in substance or quantity
anemic returns on an investment
anemic attendance
anemically
ə-ˈnē-mi-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce anemic (audio)
adverb

Examples of anemic in a Sentence

The doctor told me I was slightly anemic. The band played an anemic rendition of a classic love song. Investors are worried about the stock's anemic performance. Officials worried about anemic attendance at the shows. Sales rose an anemic 0.5 percent last quarter.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Wholesale trade: Business-to-business distribution suffered supply-chain headaches, then anemic demand. — Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2025 With anemic funding, money diverted to private schools and more focus on book censorship than reading, Florida is already producing predictably lousy results. — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025 The Rapid Update, averaging forecasts from 14 economists for GDP and inflation, sees first quarter growth registering an anemic 0.3% compared with the 2.3% expansion reported in the fourth quarter of 2024. — Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2025 The starting pitching has been very good, but the offense — which is dealing with a few key injuries — has been anemic. — Mitch Light, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anemic

Word History

Etymology

see anemia

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of anemic was in 1826

Rhymes for anemic

See All Rhymes for anemic

Browse Nearby Words

anemia
anemic
anemobiagraph
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Cite this Entry

“Anemic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anemic. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

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