emaciated

This term carries a heavy, clinical, and often tragic weight. It describes a state of wasting away where the skin clings tightly to the bone, suggesting a level of starvation or disease that goes far beyond being simply thin or slender. It evokes an image of fragility and desperation.

While words like slim or lean are often complimentary or neutral, emaciated is strictly negative. It is used in medical reports, war journalism, or descriptions of severe neglect to signal a critical health crisis rather than a dietary choice or genetic trait.