hungry

adjective

hun·​gry ˈhəŋ-grē How to pronounce hungry (audio)
hungrier; hungriest
1
a
: feeling an uneasy or painful sensation from lack of food : feeling hunger
b
: characterized by or characteristic of hunger or appetite
a wolf with hungry eyes
2
a
: eager, avid
hungry for affection
b
: strongly motivated (as by ambition)
hungry investors
a power-hungry politician
3
: not rich or fertile : barren
a hungry soil
hungrily adverb
hungriness noun

Examples of hungry in a Sentence

There are millions of hungry people throughout the world. That girl is always hungry. The prisoners' families were hungry for more information. They were hungry to learn more.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But thousands of women, children, and older people – many hungry and some shoeless – trailed behind the troops, doing their best to keep up. Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2025 At the time, fans — hungry for new music from Gaga — speculated that maybe something was in the works. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2025 In 1504, Christopher Columbus, on his fourth trans-Atlantic voyage, was stranded on the shores of Jamaica, with his ships crawling with marine worms and his crew hungry. Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Mar. 2025 Speaking of the actors, part of the joy of the movie is seeing so many recognizable faces … Part of that was because the strike had just happened, so people were really hungry to work. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hungry

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English hungrig; akin to Old English hungor

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hungry was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hungry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hungry. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

hungry

adjective
hun·​gry ˈhəŋ-grē How to pronounce hungry (audio)
hungrier; hungriest
1
: feeling or showing hunger
2
: eager, avid
hungry for all the details
hungrily adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on hungry

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