WordGarden.iostarve
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /stˈɑːv/
US
- /ˈstɑrv/
Meanings
Verb
to go without enough food and suffer extreme hunger
to be deprived of something badly needed
Beyond the definition
To starve is not just to feel hungry; it is to suffer or die because you do not get enough to eat. Imagine a lost puppy, shivering and weak. That pup is starving. But "starve" can also mean not getting something important that is needed to grow or stay strong. A plant might "starve" for sunlight if it is kept in a dark room, and a person might "starve" for affection if they feel deeply unloved. It is a strong word that suggests desperation and an urgent need that is not being met. Think of Robinson Crusoe on his island: he faced the real danger of starving until he learned to grow food for himself.
To starve means to suffer or die from a lack of food and essential nutrients. It is a harsh reality faced by many around the world and often evokes images of extreme hardship. Saying that "millions of people in famine-stricken regions are starving" highlights this tragic, physical state.
However, "starve" isn't limited to physical hunger. We often starve for things beyond food—such as attention, affection, or intellectual stimulation. For instance, "he starved for recognition after years of working unnoticed" means he felt a deep, aching need for acknowledgment. This figurative use emphasizes a profound state of deprivation.
The word carries a weight that suggests prolonged suffering rather than a temporary craving. It describes the debilitating effect of a consistent lack. You might say someone is "starving for change," meaning they are desperate for a new direction in life, or that a startup is "starving for investment," indicating it cannot survive without financial support.
Historically, the core meaning of the word has always been to suffer or die from hunger. Yet its broader application, involving a person, animal, plant, or even an idea being denied what it needs, makes it a versatile term. Whether it refers to a literal lack of food or a deep emotional longing, "starve" points to a basic need going dangerously unmet.
Examples
- 1
Aid crisis
Many families could starve if the aid trucks do not arrive soon.
- 2
Animal suffering
The dog was so weak that it had almost starved to death.
- 3
Everyday hunger
I skipped breakfast and lunch, and now I’m starving.
- 4
Body image
She refused to starve herself just to lose weight.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Social need
After working alone for months, he was starved for company.
- Patternstarved for + desired thing
badly wanting it
- 6
School funding
Small local schools have been starved of funding for years.
- Patternstarve someone/something of + needed resource
not give enough of it
See also
Similar
- go hungry
- famish
Shades of meaning
- waste away
- be underfed
- deprive of food
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- starve to death
- starve someone of food
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- starveverb
Forms
- starving-ing formverb
- starvedpast tenseverb
- starvesverb