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• hunger strike
  hunger strike

  noun

  a deliberate refusal to eat, undertaken in protest against imprisonment, improper treatment, objectionable conditions, etc.
• hunger-strike
  hunger-strike

  verb (used without object)

  to go on a hunger strike.

hunger strike

¹ American  

noun

1. a deliberate refusal to eat, undertaken in protest against imprisonment, improper treatment, objectionable conditions, etc.

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hunger-strike ² American  

[huhng-ger-strahyk] / ˈhʌŋ gərˌstraɪk /

verb (used without object)

hunger-struck, hunger-striking

1. to go on a hunger strike.

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hunger strike British  

noun

1. a voluntary fast undertaken, usually by a prisoner, as a means of protest

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Other Word Forms

• hunger striker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of hunger strike¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Origin of hunger-strike²

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Both have "declared a hunger strike, though they are continuing to drink water," it added.

From Barron's • May 2, 2026

During the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, a French father who was based in Japan staged a hunger strike, calling attention to what he said was the kidnapping of his children by his ex-wife.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Family members have been clamoring for their release for weeks, including a group of women in Caracas who staged a nearly weeklong hunger strike.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

Activists say the health of some relatives who have gone on hunger strike to demand the release of their loved ones is quickly deteriorating.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

We were not so noble as to stage a hunger strike.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

Related Words

• fasting