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underfeeding

underfeeding

4.4
Giving too little food to a person, animal, or plant
  • noun
  • /ˌʌndərˈfiːdɪŋ/
translation icon : subalimentación
  • The shelter rescued several animals suffering from underfeeding and neglect.

Examples

  • Chronic underfeeding can weaken the immune system and slow growth in children.

  • Farmers must avoid underfeeding their crops to ensure a healthy harvest.

  • The underfeeding of children can lead to serious health issues.

  • Farm animals suffer from underfeeding during droughts.

  • Underfeeding can lead to serious health issues in pets if not addressed promptly.

  • Farmers were concerned about underfeeding their livestock during the drought.

  • The gardener noticed that underfeeding her plants resulted in poor growth and wilting.

Antonyms

1 3.7

Giving a person or animal more food than they need

How Much Food

overfeeding
1 3.7
nourishment
38 2.0
underfeeding
4.4
starvation
83 4.7

Surface Forms

underfeeding singular
underfeedings plural

Morphology

underfeeding = underfeed (transparent) = under + feed + ing

The noun is a regular nominalization of the verb 'underfeed' (under- + feed) and the action/state meaning is directly derived.

Etymology

Underfeeding comes from the parts under-, meaning 'too little' or 'below', and feed, meaning 'to give food'. So underfeeding simply means giving 'too little food' to a person, animal, or plant.