starve

verb

ˈstärv 

starved; starving

intransitive verb

1

a

: to perish from lack of food

b

: to suffer extreme hunger

2

a

archaic : to die of cold

b

British : to suffer greatly from cold

3

: to suffer or perish from deprivation

starved for affection

transitive verb

1

a

: to kill with hunger

b

: to deprive of nourishment

c

: to cause to capitulate by or as if by depriving of nourishment

tried to starve the enemy into submission

2

: to destroy by or cause to suffer from deprivation

starved the program of funds

3

archaic : to kill with cold

Examples of starve in a Sentence

Without food they would starve.

They left him to starve out in the desert.

providing food for starving children

They tried to starve their enemies into submission.

It was clear that the dog had been starved.

You don't have to starve yourself to lose weight.

Recent Examples on the Web

Attempting to starve the people of Cuba into submission is not Christian behavior. —Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026

Bailey, a 3-year-old pitbull, had been starved and had a skull fracture when Pennsylvania State Troopers found her, according to authorities. —Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026

Ukraine stepped up drone assaults on Russian oil ports, striking key Baltic facilities five times in just over a week to starve Moscow’s war finances. —Lorne Cook, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026

Over the course of six inconceivably traumatic days, Caldwell and three friends were forcibly marched and starved, shoved under boulders to evade detection, and made to watch their kidnappers execute members of the rival Kyrgyz Army at point-blank range. —Namir Khaliq, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sterven to die, starve, from Old English steorfan to die; akin to Old High German sterban to die, and probably to Lithuanian starinti to stiffen — more at stare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing starve

• starve to death

Rhymes for starve

• carve

Kids Definition

starve

verb

ˈstärv 

starved; starving

1

: to suffer or die or cause to suffer or die from lack of food

2

: to suffer or die or cause to suffer or die from a lack of something other than food

a child starving for affection

Etymology

Old English steorfan "to die (from any cause)"

Medical Definition

starve

verb

ˈstärv 

starved; starving

intransitive verb

1

: to perish from lack of food

2

: to suffer extreme hunger

transitive verb

1

: to kill with hunger

2

: to deprive of nourishment