hunger

[huhng-ger]

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

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.

hunger

/ 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

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

• hungeringly adverb
• half-hungered adjective
• prehunger noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hunger¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hunger¹

Old English hungor; related to Old High German hungar, Old Norse hungr, Gothic hūhrus

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

   The styles in coats this winter are from hunger.

Example Sentences

The wider war in Sudan has killed tens of thousands, displaced nearly 12 million and created the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.

Read more on Barron's

While in captivity, Sharabi lost 30 kilograms and endured extreme conditions: hunger, darkness, deprivation and a lack of basic hygiene.

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Polanski said the figures reflected "growing public frustration with the political status quo and a hunger for genuine alternatives".

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"We need a rebalanced school calendar that reflects the realities of modern family life — supporting working parents, reducing holiday hunger, and ensuring pupils don't fall behind over the long break," he says.

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The agreement has so far seen the war grind to a halt after two years of agony for the hostages' families, and constant bombardment and hunger for Gazans.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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