hungry

adjective

hun·​gry ˈhəŋ-grē 

hungrier; hungriest

1

a

: feeling an uneasy or painful sensation from lack of food : feeling hunger

b

: characterized by or characteristic of hunger or appetite

a wolf with hungry eyes

2

a

: eager, avid

hungry for affection

b

: strongly motivated (as by ambition)

hungry investors

a power-hungry politician

3

: not rich or fertile : barren

a hungry soil

hungrily

ˈhəŋ-grə-lē 

adverb

hungriness

ˈhəŋ-grē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of hungry

• starving
• starved

Examples of hungry in a Sentence

There are millions of hungry people throughout the world.

That girl is always hungry.

The prisoners' families were hungry for more information.

They were hungry to learn more.

Recent Examples on the Web

And in coral reefs, unrelated fish seem to swap visual and chemical cues as protection against dangers such as hungry barracudas. —Jesse Greenspan, Scientific American, 10 Dec. 2025

Her phone’s camera, a hungry eye, beckons. —Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025

Idris plays the hungry newcomer without overdoing it, and Pitt brings a looseness that works for a driver stepping back into chaos. —Okla Jones, Essence, 9 Dec. 2025

At a time when many media organizations are facing steep financial challenges, the opportunity to bring in hungry, smart young journalists interested in covering the biggest story of the decade has been hard to resist. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English hungrig; akin to Old English hungor

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing hungry

• go hungry

Kids Definition

hungry

adjective

hun·​gry ˈhəŋ-grē 

hungrier; hungriest

1

: feeling or showing hunger

2

: eager, avid

hungry for all the details

hungrily

-grə-lē 

adverb