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
They are beaten, they are tortured, they are raped, they are shot, hanged, and starved.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
The second is that NJ Transit, starved by both Republican and Democratic administrations in Trenton, can no longer meet one of its most basic responsibilities: Keep people moving.
—Nolan Hicks, Curbed, 28 Oct. 2024
Even more ominously, U.S. officials had heard that Israeli hard-liners were promoting a plan to either starve, kill or force out Palestinians in northern Gaza so that Jewish settlers could reoccupy the area, something the U.S. has argued against.
—Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, 28 Oct. 2024
In the early days of the wider war beginning in February 2022, Russian troops laid siege to Mariupol, ruthlessly starving and bombing the city’s garrison as well as its civilian population.
—David Axe, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for starve 
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David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
The second is that NJ Transit, starved by both Republican and Democratic administrations in Trenton, can no longer meet one of its most basic responsibilities: Keep people moving.
—Nolan Hicks, Curbed, 28 Oct. 2024
Even more ominously, U.S. officials had heard that Israeli hard-liners were promoting a plan to either starve, kill or force out Palestinians in northern Gaza so that Jewish settlers could reoccupy the area, something the U.S. has argued against.
—Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, 28 Oct. 2024
In the early days of the wider war beginning in February 2022, Russian troops laid siege to Mariupol, ruthlessly starving and bombing the city’s garrison as well as its civilian population.
—David Axe, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
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 22 Nov. 2024.
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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