English Reference
noun · verb

hunger

n. · v.
US /ˈhəŋɡɝ/ UK /hˈʌŋɡɐ/ hunger UK spelling hungers

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    n.the uncomfortable feeling you get when you have not eaten enough food.

    n.the physiological sensation or physical condition resulting from a lack of food.

    Simple

    After a long day of hiking, the children complained of hunger and exhaustion.

    In context

    The charity works to alleviate chronic hunger in regions where drought has decimated the local harvest.

    fullnesssatiety
  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    n.a very strong wish or need for something, such as power, love, or information.

    n.an intense desire, craving, or yearning for an abstract quality or achievement.

    Simple

    The young athlete had a real hunger for success and trained every morning.

    In context

    Her hunger for knowledge led her to spend every weekend researching in the university archives.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Literary

    v.to want something very much.

    v.to have an eager or consuming desire; typically used with the preposition 'for' or 'after'.

    Simple

    The fans hungered for news about the band's new album.

    In context

    In his early poems, he seems to hunger for a sense of belonging that he never quite found in the city.

    Usage

    Usually followed by the preposition 'for'.

Usage hunger strike

At least 150,000 people in Yemen have been killed in the fighting, and hundreds of thousands more have died from related causes such as hunger and diseases.

The Guardian· 5 Sept 2026

The doubt for anyone when a long-strived-for goal has been achieved is hunger.

The Guardian· 15 Aug 2026
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated