verb
starve
STARV/stɑːrv/
To suffer from a severe lack of nourishment.
The woman is starving beside a bare cupboard, holding an empty bowl.
Etymology
Steorfan meant simply “to die,” not specifically from hunger. The word seems to have been used especially for lingering or wasting deaths, eventually narrowing to death or suffering from lack of food.
In context
Germany aimed to exploit this weakness by cutting off the sea routes that brought food into Britain, hoping to starve the nation into submission.
More examples
- Without emergency food deliveries, families in the region will starve.
- The rescued dog was starving when we found it.
- Wild animals can starve when deep snow covers their food.
Forms
starve · starves · starved · starving
starvation noun — Severe suffering caused by insufficient food.
Similar words
- hunger
- Means feeling a need for food, not necessarily severe deprivation.