hungry
gb/hˈʌŋɡɹi/ us/hˈʌŋɡɹi/
A1
English
~ 8800
éhes, éhező, erőforrás-igényes
A1
1
éhes
A1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is hungry
If you're hungry, there are some sandwiches in the fridge.
Ha éhes vagy, van pár szendvics a hűtőben.
We were tired and hungry after walking all day.
Az egész napos gyaloglás után fáradtak és éhesek voltunk.
I usually start to feel hungry again around midnight.
Skipping breakfast can make you very hungry by lunchtime.
The kids came home from school hungry and went straight to the kitchen.
Learner examples
I am hungry, so I want some rice.
Éhes vagyok, ezért szeretnék egy kis rizst.
Are you hungry, or did you already eat?
Éhes vagy, vagy már ettél?
She is always hungry after swimming.
They were very hungry and ate fast.
He felt hungry two hours after lunch.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"I am hunger"* or *"I have hungry"*. Use the adjective: *"I am hungry"* or *"I feel hungry"*. Another mistake is using *"starving"* in formal writing where simple *"hungry"* is more natural.
Meaning
Needing food; wanting to eat
Collocations
feel hungry
|get hungry
|really hungry
|still hungry
|go hungry
|hungry children
Synonyms
starving (Much stronger than "hungry"; often used for being very, very hungry, or for people who have almost no food.)
|
peckish (Milder and mainly British; means a little bit hungry rather than very hungry.)
Antonyms
full (Describes someone who has eaten enough and does not want more food.)
Themes
daily life
|health
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
Wanting or needing to eat food because your stomach is empty.
Feeling a physical need or strong desire to eat food, usually because you have not eaten for some time.
B2
2
éhes
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is hungry for [something]
Young entrepreneurs are hungry for success and recognition.
A fiatal vállalkozók sikerre és elismerésre éhesek.
After years of being ignored, she was hungry for attention.
Miután évekig nem törődtek vele, ki volt éhezve a figyelemre.
The voters are hungry for real change in the system.
He is an ambitious, hungry player who wants to win every game.
The company is hungry for new ideas and fresh talent.
Learner examples
She is hungry for success in her new job.
Sikerre éhes az új munkahelyén.
The team is hungry for a win this year.
A csapat idén győzelemre éhes.
Many people are hungry for change in the city.
He was hungry for love after living alone for many years.
The students are hungry for more information about this topic.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this figurative meaning with physical hunger and use it in unclear contexts, for example: *"I am hungry"* when they mean they strongly want success. In that case, say *"I am hungry for success"* or use a clearer verb like *"I really want to succeed"*.
Meaning
Having a strong desire for something
Collocations
hungry for success
|hungry for power
|hungry for attention
|hungry for change
Synonyms
eager (Suggests a strong, often positive desire, but can sound gentler and less intense than "hungry".)
|
desperate (Stronger and more negative than "hungry"; suggests fear, urgency, or lack of control.)
Antonyms
content (Describes someone who is satisfied and does not strongly want more of something.)
Themes
emotions
|work
|relationships
Definition
Wanting something very much, like success, power, or attention, not food.
Having a strong desire or need for something that is not food, such as success, power, love, or attention.
B2
3
éhező
B1
Usage pattern:
[a group or place] is hungry
Many charities are working to support hungry families in the region.
Sok jótékonysági szervezet dolgozik azon, hogy segítse a térség éhező családjait.
In some parts of the world, children still go to bed hungry every night.
A világ egyes részein a gyerekek még mindig minden este éhesen fekszenek le.
The report warns that climate change could create millions of hungry people.
He donated a portion of his salary to help hungry communities after the drought.
No child in this city should grow up hungry.
Learner examples
They want to help hungry children in poor countries.
Segíteni akarnak a szegény országokban élő éhező gyerekeken.
The government has a plan to give food to hungry families.
A kormány azt tervezi, hogy élelmiszert juttat az éhező családoknak.
Some people in the town are still hungry after the flood.
The group collects money to buy food for hungry people.
She started a project to bring meals to hungry students.
Common mistake:
Learners may mix this meaning with the simple personal feeling of hunger. When talking about long-term lack of food or many people, it is more natural to say *"hungry families"*, *"hungry communities"*, or *"a hungry world"* rather than *"they are a little hungry"*.
Meaning
Lacking enough food; underfed
Collocations
hungry children
|hungry families
|hungry communities
|hungry world
|hungry nation
Synonyms
undernourished (More formal and technical; often used in reports about health and long-term lack of food.)
|
starving (Can describe people or areas suffering extreme and sometimes life-threatening lack of food.)
Antonyms
well-fed (Describes people or groups that regularly have enough food and good nutrition.)
Themes
society
|poverty
|health
|daily_life
Definition
Not having enough food for people, often for a long time.
Having too little food over a period of time; used especially of groups of people, regions, or times when people do not get enough to eat.
C1
4
Usage pattern:
[something] is [resource]-hungry
This video editor is quite memory-hungry and may slow older computers.
Ez a videószerkesztő meglehetősen memóriaigényes, és lelassíthatja a régebbi számítógépeket.
The new plant is less energy-hungry than the old factory.
Az új üzem kevésbé energiaigényes, mint a régi gyár.
SUVs are often fuel-hungry compared to smaller cars.
Data-hungry apps can quickly use up your mobile plan.
The process is time-hungry and difficult to automate.
Learner examples
This game is very memory-hungry on my laptop.
Ez a játék nagyon memóriaigényes a laptopomon.
Old light bulbs are more energy-hungry than new ones.
A régi izzók több energiát fogyasztanak, mint az újak.
The machine is fuel-hungry and costs a lot to run.
That website is data-hungry on my phone.
The program is too resource-hungry for this computer.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this is about physical hunger, but here it means using a lot of something. It is usually used before a noun with a hyphen, like *"energy-hungry"* or *"memory-hungry"*.
Meaning
Using or needing a lot of resources
Collocations
resource-hungry app
|memory-hungry program
|fuel-hungry car
|energy-hungry industry
Synonyms
resource-intensive (More formal and technical; often used in business and environmental reports.)
Antonyms
efficient (Describes something that uses few resources to achieve a result.)
Themes
technology
|business
|science
Definition
Needing or using a lot of something, like energy, fuel, or computer memory.
Using or requiring a large amount of a particular resource, such as energy, memory, time, or fuel.
Grammar
Dictionary form
hungry
IPA
GB/hˈʌŋɡɹi/
US/hˈʌŋɡɹi/
Syllables & stress
hungry (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (hungry)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: hungry
- Comparative: hungrier
- Superlative: hungriest
Word family
Expressions
as hungry as a wolf
1/ˈæz hˈʌŋɡɹi ˈæz ə wˈʊlf/
idiom
informal
Extremely hungry
Very, very hungry.
Examples
- I'm as hungry as a wolf after that long hike.
- The kids came home from school as hungry as wolves.
- By the time dinner was ready, everyone was as hungry as a wolf.
go hungry
1/ɡˈoʊ hˈʌŋɡɹi/
fixed phrase
Not get enough to eat
To not have enough food to eat, especially for some time.
Examples
- No one in this country should have to go hungry.
- During the war, many families went hungry for months.
- They work to make sure that fewer children go hungry in the city.
hungry eyes
1/hˈʌŋɡɹi ˈaɪz/
idiom
Eyes showing strong desire
A way to describe someone's eyes when they look at a person or thing with very strong desire, often romantic, sexual, or greedy.
Examples
- He watched her with hungry eyes from across the room.
- The tourists looked at the jewelry with hungry eyes.
- She could feel his hungry eyes on her as she walked past.
hungry for something
1/hˈʌŋɡɹi fɚ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Strongly wanting a specific thing
To want a particular thing very much, such as success, power, love, or information.
Examples
- The public is hungry for clear, honest information.
- After his first hit movie, the actor was hungry for more serious roles.
- Young voters are hungry for real change in politics.
leave someone hungry for more
1/lˈiv sˈʌmwˌʌn hˈʌŋɡɹi fɚ mˈɔɹ/
idiom
Make someone want more
To make someone want to have or experience more of something because they enjoyed it a lot.
Examples
- The first season of the show leaves viewers hungry for more.
- His short speech left the audience hungry for more details.
- The band played a great set that left fans hungry for more songs.
power-hungry
1/pˈaʊɚ hˈʌŋɡɹi/
idiom
Strongly wanting power
Wanting power and control very much, often in a negative way.
Examples
- Many people saw the new leader as power-hungry and dangerous.
- The movie is about a power-hungry businessman who will do anything to win.
- Voters are tired of power-hungry politicians who ignore ordinary people.