hunger

English Online Dictionary. What means hunger‎? What does hunger mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhʌŋɡə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈhʌŋɡɚ/
• Rhymes: -ʌŋɡə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: hun‧ger

Etymology 1

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”), Swedish hunger (“hunger”), Icelandic hungur (“hunger”).

Noun

hunger (countable and uncountable, plural hungers)

1. A need or compelling desire for food.
2. (by extension) Any strong desire or need.

Usage notes

The phrase be hungry is more common than have hunger to express a need for food.

Antonyms

• satiety
• satiation

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• thirst

Etymology 2

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

Verb

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, usually with 'for' or 'after') To have a desire (for); to long; to yearn.
3. (archaic, transitive) To make hungry; to famish.

Derived terms

• ahungered/anhungered
• forhungered

Translations

References

• “hunger”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• rehung

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse hungr.

Noun

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

1. (dated, occasionally humorous) hunger

   Synonym: sult

   1. (figurative) a strong urge; a longing (for something)

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

• hungre
• hungrig

Further reading

• “hunger” in Den Danske Ordbog

German

Verb

hunger

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

Middle English

Alternative forms

• hunguer, honguer, honger, hungre, hongre, hungere, hongur, hounger, hounguer, hungir, hungyr, hungur
• hungær, hungor, hunnꟑerr (Early Middle English)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhunɡər/, [ˈhuŋɡər]

Noun

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.
4. Hunger as a metaphorical individual; the force of hunger.
5. (rare) Any strong drive or compulsion.

Derived terms

• hungren
• hungry
• hungrylych

Descendants

• English: hunger
• Scots: hounger, hunger

References

• “hunger, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-19.

Middle High German

Etymology

From Old High German hungar, from Proto-West Germanic *hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hungruz, from Proto-Indo-European *kenk-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (before 13^th CE) /ˈhuŋɡər/

Noun

hunger m

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

Declension

Descendants

• Central Franconian:
  • Hunsrik: Hunger
  • Luxembourgish: Honger
• Cimbrian: hungar, hummar (Luserna)
• German: Hunger
• Yiddish: הונגער (hunger)

References

• Benecke, Georg Friedrich, Müller, Wilhelm, Zarncke, Friedrich (1863) “hunger”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch: mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Benecke, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel
• "hunger" in Köbler, Gerhard, Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch (3rd edition 2014)

North Frisian

Alternative forms

• honger (Föhr-Amrum)
• Hunger (Sylt)

Etymology

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

Noun

hunger m

1. (Mooring) hunger

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

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

Noun

hunger m (definite singular hungeren, uncountable)

1. hunger

Synonyms

• sult

Derived terms

• hungersnød (“famine”)

Related terms

• hungrig

References

• “hunger” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse hungr.

Noun

hunger m (definite singular hungeren) (uncountable)

1. hunger

Synonyms

• svolt

Derived terms

• hungersnaud, hungersnød

Related terms

• hungrig

References

• “hunger” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Noun

hunger c (uncountable)

1. hunger

Declension

Derived terms

• lufthunger

Related terms

• hungrig (“hungry”)
• hungra (“to hunger”)

See also

• törst (“thirst”)

References

• hunger in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• hunger in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• hunger in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)