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hunger

noun

ˈhəŋ-gər How to pronounce hunger (audio)
Definition of hungernext
1
as in appetite
a need or desire for food no degree of hunger would induce me to eat octopus

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thirst
a strong wish for something a lonely girl with a desperate hunger for love

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in enthusiasm
urgent desire or interest reads everything he can find on airplanes with a seemingly insatiable hunger

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hunger The reality of hunger is compounded by the stigma surrounding food assistance. — Christine Franz, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026 This hunger for the handmade is being met well beyond Craft Week. — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026 These reasons are, by themselves, enough for Washington to helm a global campaign to reduce hunger. — Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026 The fear of unemployment, hunger, natural disasters, climate change, wars and epidemics? — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hunger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hunger
  1. appetite
  2. thirst
  3. enthusiasm
  4. starvation
  5. craving
  6. stomach
  7. desire
  8. longing
Noun
  • The market has already shown a voracious appetite for companies demonstrating copious free cash flows at a time when it's become scarce.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
  • What everyone was caught up in was an appetite with a longer history than the social media platforms now feeding it.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of appetite
Noun
  • This short, high-spirited tall tale careens through an all-Black Oklahoma town bursting with gossip, humor and a thirst for justice.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Anecdotally, gardeners find that thirst drives this behavior.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of thirst
Noun
  • The convention -- part rally, part fundraiser -- comes as Republicans try to boost enthusiasm heading into the final stretch before Election Day.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The move was sure to spark criticism that the president was paying Americans to vote Republican as the party struggles to match Democrats’ enthusiasm and faces a challenging midterm outlook.
    — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of enthusiasm
Noun
  • But all of the effort is ultimately in vain, as every worker wasp will eventually perish from starvation or cold weather.
    — Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • That means making sure humanitarian groups can get into conflict zones, protecting agricultural infrastructure from attacks, and prohibiting the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
    — Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of starvation
Noun
  • Kanarek, a former heroin user, now took Suboxone to ease cravings.
    — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • For customers who still miss this seasonal treat, the new mini pies will undoubtedly satisfy your craving.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of craving
Noun
  • Creative fare like biryani arancini, crab risotto with curry leaf pesto, and chicken tikka pot pie are worth arriving with an empty stomach for.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The court heard how the former nurse, now 36, attacked babies in her care by administering air into their blood and stomachs, overfeeding them with milk, physically assaulting them and poisoning them with insulin.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of stomach
Noun
  • Her work in this area could be rewarded in Europe, where there is growing frustration with the United States as a reliable partner in space and a desire to have independent access to orbit for European astronauts.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 2026
  • While Smith was on the IL, backup catcher Dalton Rushing was thrown into the starting role, learning how to balance the defensive responsibility of serving as the main backstop at the major-league level with a desire to also contribute offensively.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of desire
Noun
  • What shines through, however, are the lively longings of Kit herself as the movie doubles down on an interest in science that is only intimated in the novel.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • As the symbols of the winter of 2026 become folk art in Minnesota, there continues to be a longing for answers, and for a recognition of the lasting damage that the surge inflicted on the state.
    — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of longing

Phrases Containing hunger

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hung back
hunger
hungered (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Hunger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hunger. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hunger

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hunger

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