hunger

American  

[huhng-ger] / ˈhʌŋ gər /

noun

1. a compelling need or desire for food.

2. the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the need of food.

   to collapse from hunger.

3. a shortage of food; famine.

4. a strong or compelling desire or craving.

   hunger for power.

   Synonyms:

   itch, lust, greed, appetite

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verb (used without object)

1. to feel hunger; be hungry.

2. to have a strong desire.

verb (used with object)

1. Rare. to subject to hunger; starve.

idioms

1. from hunger, deplorably bad; dreadful: Also strictly from hunger.

   The styles in coats this winter are from hunger.

hunger British  

/ ˈhʌŋɡə /

noun

1. a feeling of pain, emptiness, or weakness induced by lack of food

2. an appetite, desire, need, or craving

   hunger for a woman

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verb

1. to have or cause to have a need or craving for food

2. (intr; usually foll by for or after) to have a great appetite or desire (for)

Other Word Forms

• half-hungered adjective
• hungeringly adverb
• prehunger noun

Etymology

Origin of hunger

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hungor; cognate with German Hunger

Example Sentences

“There’s a hunger and thirst for information that I do not think will be satisfied by the review of these documents.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Her face had fear in it, and hunger.

From Literature

Seeing her initials makes my stomach feel something worse than hunger.

From Literature

More than six million people in Malawi and Zambia face hunger after crops failed and cattle starved, according to the United Nations.

From The Wall Street Journal

"There is a strong sense of unfinished opportunities within the group," Mitchell explained, "and that will shape our preparation, training approach, and ongoing drive to raise our floor as we build our hunger in dynasty."

From BBC

Related Words

• craving
• desire
• famine
• greed
• longing
• lust
• starvation
• yearning