starved; starving
1
a
: to perish from lack of food
b
: to suffer extreme hunger
2
a
archaic
: to die of cold
b
British
: to suffer greatly from cold
3
: to suffer or perish from deprivation
starved for affection
1
a
: to kill with hunger
b
: to deprive of nourishment
c
: to cause to capitulate by or as if by depriving of nourishment
2
: to destroy by or cause to suffer from deprivation
3
archaic
: to kill with cold
Examples of starve in a Sentence
Without food they would starve.
They left him to starve out in the desert.
providing food for starving children
They tried to starve their enemies into submission.
It was clear that the dog had been starved.
You don't have to starve yourself to lose weight.
Recent Examples on the Web
In August, three former employees of the aquarium came out as whistleblowers, alleging that a culture of negligence and poor facilities management led to the starving deaths of two sharks and the likely suffocations of dozens of other animals at the SeaQuest aquarium.
—
Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Jan. 2025
Doctors have risked their lives to treat the homeless, wounded, ill, disabled and starving innocents in Gaza.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2025
The immersive effort of preparing for the role, moving out of his New York apartment, avoiding friends, and starving himself to understand loss and isolation, left him depressed and exhausted.
—Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2025
For those who pass the exam, the relative dearth of government jobs can make new-hiring calls look like a crumb thrown into a lake full of starving fish.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025
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Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Jan. 2025
Doctors have risked their lives to treat the homeless, wounded, ill, disabled and starving innocents in Gaza.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2025
The immersive effort of preparing for the role, moving out of his New York apartment, avoiding friends, and starving himself to understand loss and isolation, left him depressed and exhausted.
—Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2025
For those who pass the exam, the relative dearth of government jobs can make new-hiring calls look like a crumb thrown into a lake full of starving fish.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for starve
Dictionary Entries Near starve
Cite this Entry
“Starve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starve. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
starve
verb
starved; starving
1
: to suffer or die or cause to suffer or die from lack of food
2
: to suffer or die or cause to suffer or die from a lack of something other than food
a child starving for affection
Etymology
Old English steorfan "to die (from any cause)"
Medical Definition
starve
verb
starved; starving
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