hunger

See also: Hunger

EnglishEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From Middle English hunger, from Old English hungor (“hunger, desire; famine”), from Proto-Germanic *hungruz, *hunhruz (“hunger”), from Proto-Indo-European *kenk- (“to burn, smart, desire, hunger, thirst”). Cognate with West Frisian honger, hûnger (“hunger”), Dutch honger (“hunger”), German Low German Hunger (“hunger”), German Hunger (“hunger”), Swedish hunger (“hunger”), Icelandic hungur (“hunger”).

NounEdit

hunger (countable and uncountable, plural hungers)

  1. A need or compelling desire for food.
  2. (by extension) Any strong desire.
    I have a hunger to win.
    • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Qveene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for VVilliam Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938, book V, canto XII, stanza 1:
      O sacred hunger of ambitious minds!
    • 2003, Curtis Jackson and Rob Tewlow (lyrics), Reef Tewlow (music), “What Up Gangsta”, in Get Rich or Die Tryin', New York City: Shady Records, performed by 50 Cent:
      When gangsters bump my shit, can they feel my hunger?

Usage notesEdit

The phrase be hungry is more common than have hunger to express a need for food.

AntonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

See alsoEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From Old English hyngran, from Proto-Germanic *hungrijaną.

VerbEdit

hunger (third-person singular simple present hungers, present participle hungering, simple past and past participle hungered)

  1. (intransitive) To be in need of food.
  2. (figuratively, intransitive, usually with 'for' or 'after') To have a desire (for); to long; to yearn.
    I hungered for your love.
  3. (archaic, transitive) To make hungry; to famish.

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

ReferencesEdit

AnagramsEdit

DanishEdit

NounEdit

hunger

  1. (uncommon) hunger

DeclensionEdit

Declension of hunger
common
gender 		Singular
indefinite definite
nominative hunger hungeren
genitive hungers hungerens

SynonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

GermanEdit

VerbEdit

hunger

  1. inflection of hungern:
    1. first-person singular present
    2. singular imperative

Middle EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old English hungor, from Proto-Germanic *hungruz, *hunhruz.

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /ˈhunɡər/, [ˈhuŋɡər]

NounEdit

hunger (uncountable)

  1. Hungriness; the feeling of being hungry or requiring satiation.
  2. Hunger; a great lack or death of food or nutrition.
  3. A shortage of food in a region or country; widespread hunger.
    • a. 1382, John Wycliffe, “2 Paralipomenon 6:28”, in Wycliffe's Bible:
      If hungur riſiþ in þe lond and peſtilence and ruſt and wynd diſtriynge cornes and a locuste and bꝛuke comeþ and if enemyes biſegen þe ȝatis of þe citee aftir þat þe cuntreis ben diſtried and al veniaunce and ſikenesse oppꝛeſſiþ […]
      If hunger rises in the land, and pestilence, rust, wind, destroying grain, and locusts and their young come, and if enemies besiege a city's gates after the city's surrounds are ruined, and when any destruction and disease oppresses (people) […]
  4. Hunger as a metaphorical individual; the force of hunger.
  5. (rare) Any strong drive or compulsion.

Derived termsEdit

DescendantsEdit

  • English: hunger
  • Scots: hounger, hunger

ReferencesEdit

Norwegian BokmålEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old Norse hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hunhruz.

NounEdit

hunger m (definite singular hungeren, uncountable)

  1. hunger

SynonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

Related termsEdit

ReferencesEdit

Norwegian NynorskEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old Norse hungr

NounEdit

hunger m (definite singular hungeren) (uncountable)

  1. hunger

SynonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

Related termsEdit

ReferencesEdit

SwedishEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Old Norse hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hunhruz.

PronunciationEdit

NounEdit

hunger c (uncountable)

  1. hunger

DeclensionEdit

Declension of hunger 
Uncountable
Indefinite Definite
Nominative hunger hungern — —
Genitive hungers hungerns — —

See alsoEdit

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