hungry

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle English hungry, from Old English hungriġ, from Proto-West Germanic *hungrug, from Proto-Germanic *hungrugaz (hungry); equivalent to hunger +‎ -y. Cognate with West Frisian hongerich (hungry), Dutch hongerig (hungry), German hungrig (hungry), Swedish hungrig (hungry), Icelandic hungraður (hungry).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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hungry (comparative hungrier, superlative hungriest)

  1. Affected by hunger; having the physical need for food.
    Synonyms: famished, peckish, starving
    My kids go to bed hungry every night because I haven’t got much money for food.
    I woke up very hungry and made some toast.
  2. Causing hunger.
    All this gardening is hungry work.
  3. (figuratively) Eager, having an avid desire (‘appetite’) for something.
    young and hungry
    the students are hungry to learn
  4. Not rich or fertile; poor; barren; starved.
    a hungry soil

Derived terms

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

See also

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Old English hungriġ, from Proto-Germanic *hungragaz; equivalent to hunger +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈhunɡriː/, [ˈhuŋɡriː]

Adjective

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hungry

  1. Hungry or starving; afflicted by hunger or starvation.
  2. Voracious; having a great desire or compulsion to eat.
  3. Haggard, scrawny; shriveled due to hunger or starvation.
  4. (rare) Due to hunger; because of one's appetite.
  5. (rare) Desirous; wanting something to a great degree.
  6. (rare) Causing or producing hunger.
  7. (rare) Of earth; not productive.

Descendants

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  • English: hungry
  • Scots: hungry
  • Yola: hungree

References

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Noun

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hungry

  1. Those who are hungry, starving, or of little means.

References

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