starvation
gb/stɑɹvˈeɪʃən/ us/stɑɹvˈeɪʃən/
B1
English
~ 8400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
severe lack of food
A very serious lack of food for a long time that can make people or animals very weak or die.
Usage pattern:
starvation in [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "starvation" with "hunger" and use it for ordinary situations (e.g., *"I skipped lunch, I’m in starvation"*). "Starvation" should only be used for very serious, often life‑threatening lack of food. Learners also sometimes say *"die by starvation"*; the natural phrases are "die of starvation" or "die from starvation".
Synonyms
hunger (A more general word for needing food; it can be mild or extreme, while starvation is always very serious.)
|
famine (Often refers to a wide area or country where many people are suffering from starvation because there is not enough food.)
Antonyms
plenty (Suggests having more than enough food, the opposite of extreme lack.)
Collocations
die of starvation
|threat of starvation
|starvation in [a region]
|risk of starvation
|widespread starvation
|slow starvation
Themes
health
|society
|food
|humanitarian
|food_drink
Examples
- Thousands of people were at risk of starvation after the crops failed for a second year.
- The refugees described years of near starvation in the war zone.
- Images of children suffering from starvation shocked the international community.
- During the siege, many civilians died of starvation and disease.
- Aid agencies rushed food supplies to prevent mass starvation in the region.
Learner examples
- Many children in the camp are weak from starvation.
- Some animals died of starvation because there was no grass.
- The charity sends food to areas where there is starvation.
- War can cause hunger and even starvation.
- They are trying to stop starvation by giving free meals.
Noun
B2
state
2
severe lack of something needed
A very strong lack of something important, like money, love, or information, not food.
Usage pattern:
starvation of [something necessary]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this sense of "starvation" only for food. In modern English it is also common in phrases like "starvation wages" to describe a very serious lack of money or other important things. Do not use it for small or normal shortages; for mild cases, "lack" or "shortage" is better.
Synonyms
shortage (A general word for not having enough of something; it can be mild, while starvation suggests something much more serious or damaging.)
|
deprivation (Focuses on not being allowed or not having basic things you need; often used in similar serious contexts but sounds more formal.)
Antonyms
abundance (Suggests having more than enough of something, the opposite of a severe lack.)
Collocations
starvation wages
|information starvation
|data starvation
|starvation of resources
|emotional starvation
|budgetary starvation
Themes
business
|technology
|society
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Workers complained that they were being paid starvation wages that could not cover basic living costs.
- The project failed partly because of a starvation of reliable data.
- Some children suffer from emotional starvation in homes where no one shows them love or attention.
- The department has endured years of budgetary starvation, leaving equipment old and unsafe.
- The study found that information starvation in rural areas limited people’s job opportunities.
Learner examples
- Many people live on starvation wages and cannot pay their rent.
- The team had a starvation of money, so they stopped the project.
- Some children feel emotional starvation when their parents never talk to them.
- The company closed because of a long starvation of new customers.
- The school library has a starvation of new books.
Grammar
Dictionary form
starvation
IPA
GB/stɑɹvˈeɪʃən/
US/stɑɹvˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
star - va - tion (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (va)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: starvation
- Plural: starvation, starvations
Word family
Expressions
die of starvation
1/dˈaɪ əv stɑɹvˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
die from extreme lack of food
To die because you did not get enough food for a long time.
Examples
- Without emergency aid, many people could die of starvation this winter.
- Prisoners were left to die of starvation in the overcrowded jail.
face starvation
1/fˈeɪs stɑɹvˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
be at risk of starvation
To be in danger of not having enough food to stay alive.
Examples
- Without international support, many families will face starvation this year.
- Thousands of animals face starvation after the sudden freeze destroyed their food sources.
on the brink of starvation
1/ˈɔn ðə bɹˈɪŋk əv stɑɹvˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
very close to starvation
Very near to a state where people or animals will not have enough food to live.
Examples
- After two years of drought, whole villages were on the brink of starvation.
- The report warns that millions are on the brink of starvation unless help arrives soon.
starvation diet
1/stɑɹvˈeɪʃən dˈaɪət/
fixed phrase
very low‑calorie diet
A way of eating where you eat far too little food, so it is not healthy.
Examples
- Doctors warned her that going on a starvation diet could damage her health.
- He lost weight quickly on a starvation diet, but he soon gained it all back.
starvation wages
1/stɑɹvˈeɪʃən wˈeɪd͡ʒɪz/
fixed phrase
pay too low to live on
Pay that is so low that a person cannot buy the basic things they need to live.
Examples
- The workers went on strike, saying they were tired of earning starvation wages.
- Many cleaners are forced to survive on starvation wages with no benefits.