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

The sun is being devoured by energy-hungry microbes, called Astrophage, and the resulting cooling threatens to wipe out much of Earth’s population. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026

Rivian has been teasing the R2 for a while now, dangling the promise of a smaller, cheaper, more attainable version of its beloved R1S in front of adventure-hungry buyers who couldn’t quite stretch to the $77,000-plus sticker of its halo SUV. —Kevin Sintumuang, Outside, 13 Mar. 2026

Snack areas on each floor provide a limitless supply of drinks and goodies to hungry children (or grown-ups). —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2026

Still, solar remained the largest source of new electricity added to the grid, kept alive by its appealing economics and a rising urgency to meet demand from energy-hungry data centers. —Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 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