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

2

: to destroy by or cause to suffer from deprivation

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

The trailer for Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story sees Bill Mail and his wife, Susan, rescuing a starving wild otter that swims onto their jetty in remote Scotland. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Apr. 2024

The prosecutor's office said the teen, who has yet to be identified, was chained to a cot and starved, having no food in his digestive tract, according to a report from Enquirer media partner Fox19. —Aaron Valdez, The Enquirer, 12 Apr. 2024

Exploitative to the planet and the women who have starved themselves to fit into its childlike clothes, Brandy Melville is positioned as the ultimate fast-fashion empire. —Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024

But Simmonds also connects strongly to the brotherly love these starving artists show for each other. —Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2024

But reasonable requests like preventing people from starving. —ABC News, 31 Mar. 2024

With Gaza’s governing authority receding, starving Palestinians have ransacked trucks, and aid shipments have been commandeered by armed gangs that have emerged amid the security vacuum. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024

The failure of the British government to adequately help the starving population forced over 1 million more to emigrate. —Eoin McSweeney, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024

Then came a reckoning. Dec. 5, 2023 What home schooling hides: A boy tortured and starved by his stepmom Dec. 2, 2023 Their sons’ lives ended in gunfire. —Amber Ferguson, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024

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

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