noun
hunger
HUHNG-guh
noun
1
The physical need or desire to eat.
"The smell of fresh bread only sharpened her hunger."
2
A strong desire or craving for something other than food.
"His hunger for success drove him to work late every night."
verb
1
To have a strong craving or longing for something.
"She hungered for a chance to prove herself."
How to Use Hunger
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe need for food, or by extension, a strong craving for anything — success, knowledge, attention.
Common pairings
hunger for success
world hunger
satisfy hunger
Word Forms
hungered past tense, hungers plural, hungers singular
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Etymology
From Old English hungor, from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "hunger," ultimately traced to an Indo-European root for burning or yearning.