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

Across institutions, there is now broad recognition that people are hungry for connection, but far less understanding of how humans build connection. — Julia Dhar, Time, 11 July 2026

The band, hungry to prove the doubters wrong, made one of its strongest albums. — Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

There are homemade herbal teas aplenty, and broth for those who get hungry in between meals. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 July 2026

The explosion of data center construction in the region has led to multiple instances of developers ignoring environmental and municipal regulations to set up energy sources for the power-hungry facilities. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 8 July 2026

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