hangry

Meaning

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Cranky or short-tempered because you have gone too long without eating.

   Grammar: Usually follows a verb: I get hangry when lunch is late.

   Patterns

   • get hangry
   • be hangry

   Let's eat soon, because I'm starting to get hangry.

   My little brother becomes hangry if dinner is even ten minutes late.

   I snapped at you because I was hangry, not because I was upset with you.

Word forms

Common combinations

get hangry

I always get hangry on long road trips.

feel hangry

I feel hangry; please pass the crackers.

hangry mood

Her hangry mood disappeared after a sandwich.

too hangry to think

I was too hangry to choose a restaurant.

hangry and tired

We were hangry and tired after the long hike.

Synonyms and how they differ

cranky

Cranky is a general word for a bad mood and does not point to hunger as the cause.

irritable

Irritable is more formal and can last a long time, whereas hangry is a joking label for a hunger-driven mood.

grumpy

Grumpy describes a sulky temper from any cause, while hangry names the cause directly.

Opposites

Word family

hungry adjective

wanting food, one half of the blend

angry adjective

feeling strong displeasure, the other half of the blend

hunger noun

the uncomfortable need for food

hangriness noun

the state of being hangry, informal

Commonly confused: hangry or hungry?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “hangry”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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