starve
gb/stˈɑɹv/ us/stˈɑɹv/
B1
English
~ 7400
éhezik, éhen hal, éheztet, kiéheztet, nem jut elég, hiányt szenved, megvon, fázik, majd megfagy
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to starve; to be starving; to starve to death
Without help, many families in the drought-stricken region will starve.
Segítség nélkül sok család éhen fog halni az aszály sújtotta térségben.
By the time we got home from the hike, we were absolutely starving.
Mire hazaértünk a túráról, már majd éhen haltunk.
Prisoners were left to starve in their cells for days.
Millions of people still starve while food is wasted in other parts of the world.
The lost climbers were close to starving when the rescue team found them.
Learner examples
I am starving, so I need some food now.
Majd éhen halok, úgyhogy most ennem kell valamit.
If she does not eat soon, she will feel like she is starving.
Ha nem eszik hamarosan, úgy fogja érezni, hogy mindjárt éhen hal.
Many animals starve when there is no rain.
They were lost in the desert and began to starve.
The news said some children are starving in that country.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'starve' only means 'to die', but it can also mean simply 'to be extremely hungry'. The informal phrase 'I'm starving' is common and usually does not mean the person is actually near death. Another mistake is using the simple past 'I starved' when they just mean 'I was very hungry'—in everyday speech, 'I was starving' is more natural.
Meaning
be extremely hungry or without food
Collocations
starve to death
|be starving
|people are starving
|slowly starve
|face starvation
|starve during the winter
Synonyms
go hungry (Describes not having enough food, but sounds slightly less intense or dramatic than 'starve'.)
|
famish (Much less common and more formal or old-fashioned than 'starve'.)
Antonyms
be full (Describes having eaten enough food, the opposite physical state of being starving.)
|
feast (Suggests eating a large amount of food, in strong contrast to starving.)
Themes
health
|survival
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To be in great need of food, or to feel very, very hungry.
To suffer or risk death because of not having enough food, often also used informally to mean to be extremely hungry.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
to starve [someone/something]; to starve [someone/something] to death
The regime was accused of trying to starve the rebels into submission.
A rezsimet azzal vádolták, hogy megpróbálta kiéheztetéssel megadásra kényszeríteni a lázadókat.
They were jailed for starving their dogs and leaving them without water.
Börtönbe kerültek, mert éheztették a kutyáikat, és víz nélkül hagyták őket.
Cutting off food supplies was a way to slowly starve the city.
The army starved the village for weeks before finally attacking.
Charities say that using food as a weapon to starve civilians is a war crime.
Learner examples
The farmer was wrong to starve his horses.
Helytelen volt, hogy a gazda éheztette a lovait.
The soldiers tried to starve the town by blocking all food trucks.
A katonák azzal próbálták kiéheztetni a várost, hogy megakadályozták az összes élelmiszer-szállító teherautó bejutását.
You must not starve your pets; they need food every day.
The cruel king wanted to starve his enemies in the castle.
They almost starved the baby birds by mistake.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say 'He starved him from food' instead of 'He starved him' or 'He deprived him of food'. The preposition 'from' is not used here. Another mistake is using this strong, serious sense in casual situations where 'didn't feed' or 'forgot to feed' would be more appropriate.
Meaning
deliberately deny food to someone
Collocations
starve prisoners
|starve animals
|starve a population
|starve people to death
|starve them into submission
|deliberately starve
Synonyms
deprive (More general; does not specifically mean taking away food unless a food object is added.)
|
neglect (Focuses on failing to care for someone, which can include not giving enough food but is broader in meaning.)
Antonyms
feed (Direct opposite, meaning to give food to someone or something.)
|
nourish (Emphasizes giving good or enough food to support health, the reverse of starving someone.)
Themes
conflict
|crime
|ethics
|health
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To not give someone or an animal enough food, so that they suffer a lot and may die.
To deliberately or negligently prevent a person, animal, or group from getting enough food, so that they suffer or may die.
VERB
B2
3
nem jut elég
B1
Usage pattern:
to starve for [something]; to be starved of [something]
Some children grow up starved of affection and support.
Egyes gyerekek úgy nőnek fel, hogy nem jut nekik elég szeretet és támogatás.
The project has been starved of funds for years.
Évek óta nem jut elég forrás a projektre.
He was starved for sleep after working three night shifts in a row.
Small towns are often starved of job opportunities.
Artists in the region say they are starved of cultural spaces to show their work.
Learner examples
She feels starved of love in her family.
Úgy érzi, nem jut neki elég szeretet a családjában.
The school is starved of money for new books.
Az iskolának nem jut elég pénz új könyvekre.
I am starved for sleep after my exams.
Many young people are starved of free time.
The team is starved of good players this year.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say 'starve from attention' instead of 'starve for attention' or 'be starved of attention'. The usual patterns are 'starve for [something]' (active desire) and 'be starved of [something]' (passive lack). Another mistake is using this form with food, where the simple verb 'starve' without a preposition is more natural.
Meaning
have far too little of something
Collocations
starve for attention
|starve for affection
|be starved of love
|starved of resources
|starved of sleep
|starved of opportunities
Synonyms
crave (Focuses more on the strong desire, not always on long-term lack or deprivation.)
|
lack (Neutral and general; does not carry the same emotional intensity as 'starve'.)
Antonyms
have plenty of (Describes having a large or comfortable amount of something, the opposite of being starved of it.)
|
be rich in (Suggests having a lot of something valuable, contrasting with serious shortage.)
Themes
emotions
|society
|work
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Definition
To not have enough of something important that you need or really want, like love, money, or rest.
To have far too little of something that is needed or strongly desired, such as money, time, love, or attention.
VERB
C1
4
Usage pattern:
to starve [something] of [something]
The government was accused of starving rural hospitals of vital equipment.
A kormányt azzal vádolták, hogy létfontosságú felszereléseket von meg a vidéki kórházaktól.
They tried to starve the terrorist group of money by freezing its bank accounts.
A bankszámlái befagyasztásával próbálták elvágni a terrorszervezet pénzforrásait.
Management has starved the department of staff for years.
New laws aim to starve criminal networks of weapons.
The company is starving smaller competitors of access to key data.
Learner examples
The city has starved its schools of money.
A város túl kevés pénzt adott az iskoláinak.
They want to starve the enemy of food and fuel.
Meg akarják vonni az ellenségtől az élelmet és az üzemanyagot.
New rules starve the group of important information.
The manager has starved our team of time and support.
The plan is to starve the war of money.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes drop the second object and say 'starve the hospital' when they mean 'starve the hospital of money'. In this figurative sense, English normally uses the pattern 'starve [something] of [something]'. Using 'starve' alone without 'of' often sounds like the literal food meaning instead.
Meaning
deny needed supplies or support
Collocations
starve schools of funding
|starve the public sector of cash
|starve the opposition of airtime
|starve the enemy of supplies
|starve the market of information
|starve the campaign of resources
Synonyms
cut off (More general phrasal verb for stopping a supply; does not always carry the idea of a slow, severe shortage.)
|
withhold (Focuses on intentionally not giving something; lacks the metaphor of causing serious, ongoing shortage.)
Antonyms
fund (Specifically means to give money, often what is being denied when something is starved of resources.)
|
support (General opposite, meaning to provide what is needed, not to starve it.)
Themes
politics
|economy
|work
|business
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To not give enough money, help, or other things that are needed, usually on purpose, so that a person or group has problems.
To deliberately provide far too little of something that is needed for a person, organization, or system to function properly, such as money, information, or resources.
VERB
C1
INFORMAL
5
fázik
A1
majd megfagy
B1
Usage pattern:
to be starving; to starve with cold
Close that window, I'm starving in here.
Csukd be azt az ablakot, megfagyok idebent.
We were starving on the sidelines in that icy wind.
Majd megfagytunk az oldalvonal mellett abban a jeges szélben.
Put your coat on or you'll starve waiting for the bus.
Learner examples
In that town, people say they are starving when they are very cold.
Abban a városban az emberek a „starving” szót használják, amikor azt akarják mondani, hogy nagyon fáznak.
He stood at the bus stop and said he was starving in the snow.
A buszmegállóban állt a hóban, és azt mondta, hogy majd megfagy.
She was starving in the thin jacket on a winter night.
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand this regional use and think it refers to hunger. In most varieties of English, 'I'm starving' means 'I'm very hungry', not 'I'm very cold'. The 'cold' meaning is limited to certain dialects, especially in parts of the UK and Ireland.
Meaning
feel extremely cold (dialectal)
Collocations
I'm starving with the cold
|we were starving in that wind
|absolutely starving outside
Synonyms
freeze (Standard verb meaning to feel very cold; more widely understood than this regional use of 'starve'.)
Antonyms
warm up (Means to become warmer or feel less cold, the opposite experience of starving with cold.)
Themes
weather
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
In some areas, to feel very, very cold.
In some regional varieties of English, to feel extremely cold or to suffer because of cold.
Grammar
Dictionary form
starve
IPA
GB/stˈɑɹv/
US/stˈɑɹv/
Syllables & stress
starve (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (starve)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: starve
- 3rd Person Singular: starves
- Present Participle: starving
- Past: starved
Word family
Forms
starves
verb
starving
verb
starved
verb
Core family
starvation
noun B1
Expressions
feed a cold, starve a fever
1/fˈid ə kˈoʊld | stˈɑɹv ə fˈivɚ/
idiom
informal
old saying about food and illness
A traditional saying that tells people to eat more when they have a cold and to eat less when they have a fever. It is not strict medical advice and many people do not follow it.
Examples
- My grandmother always said, 'Feed a cold, starve a fever.'
- Some people still repeat the phrase 'feed a cold, starve a fever', even though doctors question it.
- He joked about 'feeding a cold and starving a fever' while deciding what soup to make.
starve for something
1/stˈɑɹv fɚ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
phrasal verb
want something very much from lack
To want or need something very much because you have not had enough of it for a long time.
Examples
- He grew up starved for affection.
- After months of lockdown, people were starving for live music.
- The kids are starving for some time outside in the sun.
starve out
1/stˈɑɹv ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
force to give in by cutting supplies
To make a person or group give up or leave a place by stopping food or other supplies from reaching them.
Examples
- The army tried to starve out the rebels by surrounding the city.
- Landlords used to starve out tenants by cutting off heat and water.
- They hoped to starve out the strikers, but public support stayed strong.
starve someone of something
1/stˈɑɹv sˈʌmwˌʌn əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
deny someone what they need
To not give a person or group enough of something they need, such as food, money, or love.
Examples
- The regime has starved its people of basic freedoms for decades.
- Underfunding has starved teachers of the tools they need to do their jobs.
- You should not starve children of the attention they need.
starve something of something
1/stˈɑɹv sˈʌmθɪŋ əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
keep an organization short of resources
To not give an organization, place, or system enough money, help, or other things it needs to work well.
Examples
- The policy has starved local services of funding.
- New regulations could starve small businesses of credit.
- Critics say the plan would starve public transport of investment.
starve to death
1/stˈɑɹv tə dˈɛθ/
fixed phrase
die because of not enough food
To die because a person or animal does not get enough food for a long time.
Examples
- Many prisoners were left to starve to death in the camp.
- Without international aid, thousands could starve to death this year.
- They were determined not to let any of the animals starve to death.