underweight
underweight — adjective
1. Having a body weight that is lower than what is considered healthy or normal for
Having a body weight that is lower than what is considered healthy or normal for a person or animal of a certain height and age.
The doctor told Lien that her kitten was slightly underweight and needed more food.
collocation: slightly underweight (degree modifier)
Many stray animals that arrive at the shelter are underweight and require special care.
Ziad was underweight as a child but gained a healthy weight during his teenage years.
After his illness, Mateo was underweight and the doctor gave him a special diet.
The nurse weighed baby Mira and noted she was a little underweight for her age.
- thin
neutral term; does not necessarily imply a health concern
- skinny
informal, often carries a negative or critical tone
- undernourished
focuses on insufficient food intake rather than weight alone
- emaciated
much more extreme; describes someone dangerously thin from starvation or illness
- overweight
the opposite end of the weight spectrum
- obese
a more severe form of excess weight
文法句型
be + underweight
underweight + noun
用法筆記
Common in medical and health contexts. Frequently used with degree modifiers such as 'slightly,' 'severely,' or 'dangerously.'
常見錯誤
underweight — noun
1. The general condition of weighing less than what is considered healthy, viewed a
The general condition of weighing less than what is considered healthy, viewed as a population-level health indicator rather than a body-type-adjusted classification.
A UNICEF report tracked underweight rates among children under five in rural Tanzania over five years.
collocation: underweight rates among [population] for tracking
Doctors often check for underweight during routine health screenings at school.
collocation: check for underweight
Dr. Liang reported a rise in underweight among first-year college students on campus.
Beatrix started a school breakfast programme in her town to help reduce underweight among young students.
- thinness
a more general term that does not necessarily imply a health concern
- low body weight
a descriptive phrase often used in clinical notes
- overweight
the condition of having more than the normal body weight
文法句型
diagnosed as + underweight
underweight among + group
用法筆記
Often used in clinical or research contexts when discussing underweight as a population-level health indicator rather than describing an individual.
2. A medical label used when a person's weight falls below the expected range when
A medical label used when a person's weight falls below the expected range when adjusted for their age, height, and body build.
Dr. Sahil explained that the growth chart flags underweight only when weight is low relative to a child's height.
collocation: flags underweight (noun as object of verb)
Dr. Anjali told the parents that underweight based on height alone ignores a child's muscle development.
The sports medicine team studied underweight in marathon runners by comparing weight against lean muscle mass.
Diego compared underweight figures from two school districts to see if the free lunch programme worked.
- low weight-for-age
a clinical term used in paediatric growth assessments
文法句型
underweight for + age/height/build
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 1 (BELOW NORMAL) — this sense specifically relates to body-type-adjusted standards used in growth charts and health screenings, not the general state of low weight.