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

• 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

Monitor the bulbs and use a pest repellent to keep hungry squirrels from digging up the bulbs and eating them. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2025

The snake has other ideas, chowing down on the boat's skipper and the crew's sound engineer and still hungry for more. —Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025

Whether the products were sherbet-flavored or beer-inspired, the products left makeup lovers hungry for more. —Sonal Dutt, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025

Billions are being plowed into data centers, infrastructure and hardware to support the new technology’s hungry needs. —Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 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