starve

To feel extremely hungry.

• I’m starving. Can we eat now?
• We were starving after our long walk.
• You must be starving after missing lunch.

Similar words: be very hungry

Common phrases: starve until dinner, starve all morning

To die because you do not have enough food.

• Without food, the animals will starve.
• Many villagers starved during the famine.
• The trapped explorers almost starved to death.

How to use it: starve to death (The abandoned animals starved to death.)

Similar words: die of hunger

Common phrases: starve to death, starve without food

To prevent someone or something from getting food, care, or something else they need.

• They starved the children of affection.
• The project was starved of funds.
• Blocked pipes can starve an engine of fuel.

How to use it: starve someone/something of something (The owners starved the business of investment.)

Similar words: deprive

Common phrases: starve someone of, starve something of

To make an enemy give up by stopping their food supplies.

• They planned to starve the defenders out.
• The army starved the garrison into surrender.
• A long blockade could starve the enemy into submission.

How to use it: starve someone out (The attackers tried to starve the soldiers out.); starve someone into submission/surrender (They starved the defenders into surrender.)

Common phrases: starve someone out, starve into submission