hunger

¹hun·ger

noun \ˈhəŋ-gər\

Definition of HUNGER

1

a : a craving or urgent need for food or a specific nutrient b : an uneasy sensation occasioned by the lack of food c : a weakened condition brought about by prolonged lack of food

2

: a strong desire : craving <a hunger for success>

— from hunger

: very bad or inept <the jokes were from hunger — Mordecai Richler>

Examples of HUNGER

1. She has been a leader in the fight against world hunger.
2. One sandwich wasn't enough to satisfy his hunger.
3. Her students have a genuine hunger for knowledge.

Origin of HUNGER

Middle English, from Old English hungor; akin to Old High German hungar hunger, Lithuanian kanka torture

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to HUNGER

Synonyms: appetite, belly, emptiness, famishment, munchies, stomach

Antonyms: inappetence

Related Words: rapaciousness, rapacity, ravenousness, voraciousness, voracity; malnutrition, starvation, undernourishment; craving, sweet tooth; famine, fast, hunger strike; gluttony, gourmandism, greed, hoggishness

Near Antonyms: fill, fullness, glut, repleteness, repletion, satiation, satiety, satisfaction, surfeit

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with HUNGER

monger, younger