hunger - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Middle English hunger, from Old English hungor (“hunger, desire; famine”), from Proto-West Germanic *hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hungruz, *hunhruz (“hunger”), from Proto-Indo-European *kenk- (“to burn, smart, desire, hunger, thirst”).

Cognate with West Frisian honger, hûnger (“hunger”), Dutch honger (“hunger”), German Low German Hunger (“hunger”), German Hunger (“hunger”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish hunger (“hunger”), Faroese and Icelandic hungur (“hunger”).

hunger (countable and uncountable, plural hungers)

  1. A need or compelling desire for food.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:hungry
  2. (by extension) Any strong desire or need.
    I have a hunger to win.
    • 2003, “What Up Gangsta”, in Curtis Jackson, Rob Tewlow (lyrics), Reef Tewlow (music), Get Rich or Die Tryin', performed by 50 Cent, New York City: Shady Records:
      When gangsters bump my shit, can they feel my hunger?

strong desire

From Middle English hungren, from Old English hyngran, hyngrian, ġehyngrian (“to be hungry”), from Proto-West Germanic *hungrijan, from Proto-Germanic *hungrijaną.

hunger (third-person singular simple present hungers, present participle hungering, simple past and past participle hungered)

  1. (intransitive) To be in need of food.
  2. (figuratively, intransitive) To have a desire (for); to long; to yearn. [(usually) _with_ for or **after**]
    I hungered for your love.
  3. (archaic, transitive) To make hungry; to famish.

need food

desire

From Old Norse hungr.

hunger c (singular definite hungeren, not used in plural form)

  1. (dated, occasionally humorous) hunger
    Synonym: sult
  2. (figurative) a strong urge; a longing (for something)

hunger

  1. inflection of hungern:
    1. first-person singular present
    2. singular imperative

From Old English hungor, from Proto-West Germanic *hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hungruz.

hunger (uncountable)

  1. hungriness (the feeling of being hungry or requiring satiation)
  2. hunger (a great lack or death of food or nutrition)
  3. A shortage of food in a region or country; widespread hunger.
    • a. 1382, John Wycliffe, “2 Paralipomenon 6:28”, in Wycliffe's Bible:
      If hungur riſiþ in þe lond and peſtilence and ruſt and wynd diſtriynge cornes and a locuste and bꝛuke comeþ and if enemyes biſegen þe ȝatis of þe citee aftir þat þe cuntreis ben diſtried and al veniaunce and ſikenesse oppꝛeſſiþ […]
      If hunger rises in the land, and pestilence, rust, wind, destroying grain, and locusts and their young come, and if enemies besiege a city's gates after the city's surrounds are ruined, and when any destruction and disease oppresses (people) […]
  4. hunger as a metaphorical individual; the force of hunger
  5. (rare) any strong drive or compulsion

Inherited from Old High German hungar.

hunger m

  1. famine
  2. hunger (need for food)
  3. (figurative) hunger (strong desire)

from Old Frisian hunger, from Proto-West Germanic *hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hungruz.

hunger m

  1. (Mooring) hunger

From Old Norse hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hunhruz.

hunger m (definite singular hungeren, uncountable)

  1. hunger

From Old Norse hungr.

hunger m (definite singular hungeren) (uncountable)

  1. hunger

From Old Norse hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hunhruz.

hunger c (uncountable)

  1. hunger
    att känna hunger
    to feel hunger