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Glite Dictionary
inanition

inanition

9.9
Extreme tiredness and weakness from not having enough food
  • noun
  • /ˌɪnəˈnɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : inanición
  • The patient was diagnosed with inanition after being unable to eat for several weeks due to illness.

Examples

  • After days without food, he felt the debilitating effects of inanition and struggled to maintain his strength.

  • Shortly thereafter, Lynch and Ostrander succumbed to inanition, a kind of despondent helplessness: manic depression in its most stupefying phase.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Expanding mass boredom revealed a state of inanition.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Lack of nourishment in the wild led the hiker to experience severe inanition, making it hard for him to focus.

Synonyms

exhaustion
vsinanition
78 3.6

Extreme physical or mental tiredness after hard work

is caused by lack of food or nourishment rather than general tiredness
lethargy
vsinanition
12 6.3

A feeling of tiredness and low energy

is due to lack of food or nourishment rather than illness
lassitude
vsinanition
  • Formal
3 9.3

A feeling of being very tired and having little energy

is rooted in lack of food or vitality rather than low motivation
listlessness
vsinanition
2 6.8

A feeling of little energy and no interest

is a state from lacking food or nourishment rather than low interest
debility
vsinanition
1 8.2

Weakness in the body that follows illness or old age

is weakness caused by lack of food or lost vitality rather than disease
enervation
vsinanition
9.1

A feeling of great weakness and tiredness

is caused specifically by lack of food or loss of vitality

Antonyms

nourishment
38 2.0

Food and drink needed for growth and health

vitality
16 4.6

Ability of a living thing to survive and grow

How Exhausted

inanition
  • Specialized
9.9
exhaustion
78 3.6
weariness
20 3.1
fatigue
92 4.2
tiredness
10 1.0

Surface Forms

inanition singular
inanitions plural

Morphology

inanition = inan + ition

The word 'inanition' is derived from Latin 'inanitio', which is not transparently related to any common English base word.

Etymology

Inanition comes from the Latin word inanis, which means 'empty'. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine being 'empty' of food or strength, so inanition is the extreme weakness that comes from a lack of food or energy.