starve

[ stahrv ]

verb (used without object)

, starved, starv·ing.

1. to die or perish from lack of food or nourishment.
2. to be in the process of perishing or suffering severely from hunger.
3. to suffer from extreme poverty and need.
4. to feel a strong need or desire:

   The child was starving for affection.

5. Chiefly British Dialect. to perish or suffer extremely from cold.
6. Obsolete. to die.

verb (used with object)

, starved, starv·ing.

1. to cause to starve; kill, weaken, or reduce by lack of food.
2. to subdue, or force to some condition or action, by hunger:

   to starve a besieged garrison into a surrender.

3. to cause to suffer for lack of something needed or craved.
4. Chiefly British Dialect. to cause to perish, or to suffer extremely, from cold.

starve

/ stɑːv /

verb

1. to die or cause to die from lack of food
2. to deprive (a person or animal) or (of a person, etc) to be deprived of food
3. informal.
   intr to be very hungry
4. foll byof or for to deprive or be deprived (of something necessary), esp so as to cause suffering or malfunctioning

   the engine was starved of fuel

5. trfoll byinto to bring (to) a specified condition by starving

   to starve someone into submission

6. archaic.
   to be or cause to be extremely cold

Derived Forms

• ˈstarver, noun

Other Words From

• half-starved adjective
• half-starving adjective
• self-starved adjective
• un·starved adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of starve¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English sterven, Old English steorfan “to die”; cognate with German sterben

Word History and Origins

Origin of starve¹

Old English steorfan to die; related to Old Frisian sterva to die, Old High German sterban to die

Synonym Study

See hungry.

Example Sentences

If you're starving in Jamaica, you can walk anywhere throughout the island and somebody might give you a mango.

From Salon

"We have been terrorised, starved, had our homes destroyed, and lost our children, sons, and loved ones. We welcome this decision, and of course, we hope that the decisions of the ICC will be implemented".

From BBC

This group proposed the draft resolution which also "rejected any effort to starve Palestinians".

From BBC

The Chargers were starving for Dobbins’ playmaking and drive to turn the franchise around after years of mediocrity.

From Los Angeles Times

Rather than build a gripping, inclusive liberal patriotism that the country is starving for, Harris fell back on targeting specific groups and complaining that Trump was being divisive.

From Salon

Related Words

• cease
• forgo
• pass up
• quit
• refrain
• renounce
• shun
• withhold