Word
starve
US/ˈstɑɹv/
UK/stˈɑːv/
Definitions
01to suffer or die from hunger
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to suffer greatly or die because there is not enough food to eat.
v. to perish or suffer extreme physiological distress due to a lack of food. Intransitive in this primary sense.
Español:morir de hambre
“During the long winter, many animals in the forest began to starve.”
“The historical records describe a population forced to starve as the prolonged drought destroyed three consecutive seasons of staple crops.”
Synonyms
02to be very hungry
B1 · Intermediate Informal
v. to feel very hungry and want to eat immediately.
v. to experience a strong sensation of hunger; frequently used as a hyperbolic figure of speech in informal contexts.
“Is dinner ready yet? I am absolutely starving.”
“After a twelve-hour shift without a proper break, the entire crew was starving and headed straight for the nearest diner.”
Antonyms
03to deprive of food
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to deliberately prevent a person or animal from having food.
v. to cause a person or animal to suffer or die by withholding food. Transitive — takes a direct object.
Español:hambrear
“The cruel owner was arrested for trying to starve his dog.”
“The military strategy was designed to starve the besieged city into submission by cutting off all supply routes from the north.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “starve” in context.
Verb
01. nearly starve
“I haven't eaten anything since breakfast and I'm nearly starving!”
adv + verb
02. starve for attention
“The neglected puppy seemed to be starving for attention from its new owners.”
verb + prep + noun
03. starve to death
“During the long winter, many animals in the forest unfortunately starved to death.”
verb + prep + noun
Preposition
04. starve of funds
“The public library is starving of funds due to the recent government budget cuts.”
verb + prep + noun
05. starve of oxygen
“The brain can be permanently damaged if it is starved of oxygen for more than a few minutes.”
verb + prep + noun
Adverb
06. literally starve
“Without the emergency food aid, the local population would literally starve.”
adv + verb
07. slowly starve
“The besieged city was slowly starving as all supply routes were cut off.”
adv + verb
Real-World Examples
“However, not only do these chemicals affect the bees directly, they can also remove important plants that they rely on for food causing them to starve.” “It’s real that the planet is getting warmer, that the water’s rising, that so many people are starving.” Etymology
From Middle English sterven (“to die, perish”), from Old English steorfan (“to die, perish”), from Proto-West Germanic sterban, from Proto-Germanic sterbaną (“to become stiff, die”), from Proto-Indo-European (s)terp- (“to lose strength, become numb, be motionless”); or from Proto-Indo-European sterbʰ- (“to become stiff”), from *ster- (“stiff”); or a conflation of the aforementioned. Cognate with Scots stairve, sterve (“to die, perish, starve”), Saterland Frisian stjerwa (“to die”), West Frisian stjerre (“to die”), Dutch sterven (“to die”), German Low German starven (“to die”), German sterben (“to die”), Icelandic stirfinn (“peevish, froward”), Albanian shterp (“sterile, unproductive, barren land”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/starve
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0