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Meaning & use

hungry

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈhʌŋɡri/
US/ˈhʌŋɡri/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Feeling a need to eat because you have not had food for some time.

    Grammar: Used after be or before a noun: I'm hungry, a hungry child.

    Patterns

    • be hungry
    • go hungry

    I'm so hungry that I could eat a whole pizza.

    The hungry children rushed to the table.

    Don't go shopping when you're hungry.

  2. adjectivecomparablefigurative

    Having a strong wish for something such as success, power or knowledge.

    Grammar: Usually followed by for: hungry for success.

    Patterns

    • hungry for something

    The young players were hungry for a win.

    She is hungry for knowledge and reads every night.

    A hungry new company can disrupt an entire market.

  3. adjectivebefore a nounliterary

    Marked by a lack of food, or causing hunger.

    Grammar: Used for periods of hardship: the hungry years.

    Patterns

    • the hungry years

    Many families suffered through the hungry winter.

    Hard work in the fields made for hungry days.

    Stories of the hungry thirties remain in her family.

Word forms

comparativehungrier
superlativehungriest

Common combinations

go hungry
No child should go hungry in this country.
hungry for
He was hungry for adventure.
feel hungry
I feel hungry about an hour after breakfast.
ravenously hungry
After the long hike, we were ravenously hungry.
hungry for success
The new coach is hungry for success.

Synonyms and how they differ

starving
Starving is an informal exaggeration meaning extremely hungry, stronger than hungry.
famished
Famished is more dramatic and slightly old-fashioned, describing a very strong hunger.
eager
Eager describes keen excitement but not the physical need that hungry can mean.
peckish
Peckish is a British informal word for a little hungry, milder than hungry.

Opposites

fullsatisfiedsated

Word family

hunger noun
the need or desire for food, or a strong wish
hungrily adverb
in an eager, wanting way
hunger verb
to have a strong wish for something
hungriness noun
the state of being hungry (rare)

Commonly confused: hungry or angry? hungry or thirsty?

hungry vs angry

Angry and hungry look alike but angry means feeling rage; the joke hangry combines the two.

hungry vs thirsty

Thirsty is about needing a drink, while hungry is about needing food.

Practice

She is ___ for recognition after years of working in the background.

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