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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Starve Meaning, Examples, and Common Usage (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：suffer extreme hunger (starve)

starve 🔊

/stɑːrv/

to suffer or die because you do not have enough food to eat.

Starve extreme hunger thin hands empty bowl

suffer extreme hunger 🔊

➕

/ˈsʌfər ɪkˈstriːm ˈhʌŋɡər/

To experience severe hunger, often to the point of death, due to lack of food.

📁 Category：Animal Protection 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From OE 'steorfan' (to die), akin to German 'sterben'. Core: death from hunger.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a 'star' that is 've' (very empty) because it lacks food, so it fades away.

📖 Example

The stray cat looked very thin and weak, as if it had been starving for weeks. 🔊 A stray cat appeared extremely thin and weak, suggesting it had gone without food for a long time.

🔗 Collocations

starve to death – to die from lack of food

be starving – to be very hungry (informal)

starve oneself – to intentionally not eat enough food

🔄 Synonyms

famish (v.) – to suffer or die from extreme hunger

waste away (phr. v.) – to gradually become weaker and thinner, often due to lack of food

go hungry (phr.) – to not have enough to eat, often temporarily

🚫 Antonyms

satiate (v.) – to satisfy fully, especially with food

overeat (v.) – to eat more than necessary

stuff (v.) – to eat too much (informal)

🌱 Derivatives

starvation (n.) – the state of suffering or dying from lack of food

starving (adj.) – suffering from extreme hunger

starveling (n.) – a person or animal that is starving (archaic)

📖 Cultural Story

Originally meant 'to die' in Old English, then narrowed to 'die from hunger'. In the 14th century it could also mean 'die from cold'. Modern usage focuses on extreme hunger.

Meaning 2：feel very hungry (starve)

starve 🔊

/stɑːrv/

(informal) to feel very hungry and want to eat something immediately.

Starve informal hungry person holding stomach

feel very hungry 🔊

➕

/fiːl ˈvɛri ˈhʌŋɡri/

Used informally to express a strong desire to eat because of hunger.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

I skipped lunch today, and now I'm starving! Let's go get some pizza. 🔊 After skipping lunch, I am extremely hungry and want to eat pizza now.

🔗 Collocations

absolutely starving – extremely hungry

starving hungry – very hungry (informal)

starving for food – in great need of food

🔄 Synonyms

famished (adj.) – extremely hungry

ravenous (adj.) – extremely hungry, as if starving

peckish (adj.) – slightly hungry (British informal)

🚫 Antonyms

full (adj.) – having eaten enough

sated (adj.) – fully satisfied, especially with food

stuffed (adj.) – (informal) having eaten too much

🌱 Derivatives

starvation (n.) – the state of suffering from extreme hunger

starving (adj.) – very hungry (informal)