metabolic

American  

[met-uh-bol-ik] / ˌmɛt əˈbɒl ɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or affected by metabolism.

2. undergoing metamorphosis.

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Usage

What does metabolic mean? Metabolic describes something that is related to or is affected by metabolism, as in Dr. Petrov discovered the patient’s illness had metabolic causes.Your metabolism is the sum of the physical and chemical processes in your body needed to sustain life by producing energy. In humans, metabolism involves a large number of different organs and tissues. For this reason, the word metabolic is frequently used in medicine, nutrition, and other health sciences to discuss the digestive system, circulatory system, and other bodily processes.Example: While studying the birds, the researchers conducted intense studies of the animals’ metabolic rate increases during prolonged flights.

Other Word Forms

• hypermetabolic adjective
• metabolically adverb

Etymology

Origin of metabolic

First recorded in 1735–45; from Greek metabolikós “changeable,” from metabol(ḗ) “change” + -ikos -ic; metabolism

Example Sentences

Leigh syndrome is a rare metabolic condition that affects the brain and muscles, usually appearing in infancy or early childhood.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

"Sleep drives growth hormone release, and growth hormone feeds back to regulate wakefulness, and this balance is essential for growth, repair and metabolic health."

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

"By rapidly taking up and using fuel sources from our bodies and the food that we eat, brown fat acts like a metabolic sink that draws in nutrients and prevents them from being stored."

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026

Early findings are promising, with some trials reporting improvements in memory, physical movement, and metabolic health.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

Bear in mind we are not office workers, sitting around idling at the basal metabolic rate.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich