Dictionary

wannarexic en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌwɑn-/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger)
• /ˌwoːn-/ (Australia)
• /ˌwɔn.əˈɹɛk.sɪk/ (General-American) without the cot–caught merger
• /ˌwɒn.əˈɹɛk.sɪk/ (Canada, standard)
• /ˌwɑn.əˈɹɛk.sɪk/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger)
• /ˌwɔn.əˈɹek.sɪk/ (Australia)
• /ˌwɔn.əˈɹɛk.sɪk/ (Scotland)
• /ˌwɒn.əˈɹek.sɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˌwɔn-/ (Scotland)
• /ˌwɔːn-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌwɒn-/ (Canada, standard)
• /ˌwoːn-/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˌwɑn.əˈɹɛk.sɪk/ (Canada, dialectal)
• /ˌwɔn-/ (India, cot-caught-merger)
• wŏn′ə-rĕk′sĭk
• /ˌwɑn-/ (Canada, dialectal)
• /ˌwɒn.əˈɹek.sək/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˌwɔn-/ (General-American) without the cot–caught merger
• wôn′-
• /ˌwɔn.aˈɾɛ(ː)k.sɪk/ (India)
• /ˌwɒn.əˈɹɛk.sɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌwɔːn-/ (India) without the cot–caught merger
• /ˌwɔn.ʌˈɹɛk.sɪk/ (Scotland)

Etymology

Blend of wanna(be) + (ano)rexic.

Meanings

1. (derogatory, slang) One who does not have the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, but wishes to.
   • While some experts say these girls likely have body image issues or could develop a more serious eating disorder, wannarexics usually range between healthy and overweight. 2007 August 4, Valerie Bauman, “'Wannarexic' girls yearn for eating disorders”, in AP/USA Today:
   • Wannarexics draw anger and derision from people with anorexia and bulimia. 2007 September 8, Deborah Cohen, “Worrying world of eating disorder wannabes”, in BMJ, volume 335, number 7618, →ISSN, →JSTOR, page 516:
   • When one trolls it becomes clear that wannarexics are a much-maligned population, and that many people, most notably diagnosed anorexics but others, too, characterize them as wholly superficial, flippant, vapid, and clearly more interested in having the reputation of being anorexic than in legitimately acquiring the disorder. 2013 November 14, Kelsey Osgood, How to Disappear Completely: On Modern Anorexia, New York: Overlook Press, →ISBN, →OL:

Forms

Relateds

pro-ana · pro-mia