verb · 16 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/stɑːv/
General-American:/stɑɹv/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)v
CMU ARPABET:S T AA1 R V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To die because of lack of food or of not eating.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To suffer severely because of lack of food or of not eating.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To be very hungry.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
I was starving so I wrote S.O.S. on the desert island using rocks.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To kill or attempt to kill by depriving of food.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To make suffer severely by depriving of food.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: famish
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To force a combatant to submit or surrender by depriving of food, as in a targeted siege.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
If they refuse to surrender the garrison, we'll just starve them out.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
To force a population center to submit or surrender by depriving of food, as in sieges in international armed conflicts.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, transitive
Examples
Some historians have since classified the Siege of Leningrad as a genocide due to the intentional destruction of the city and the systematic starvation of its civilian population.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
To deprive of nourishment or of some vital component.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
The uncaring parents starved the child of love.
The patient’s brain was starved of oxygen.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
verb
Meaning 9
To deteriorate for want of any essential thing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
verb
Meaning 10
To kill with cold; to (cause to) die from cold.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, transitive
Qualifier: especially Yorkshire and Lancashire
Examples
I was half starved waiting out in that wind.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
verb
Meaning 11
To die; in later use especially to die slowly, waste away.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
verb
Meaning 12
die of food deprivation
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The political prisoners starved to death
Many famished in the countryside during the drought
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: famish
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: die, decease, perish, go, exit, pass away, expire, pass, kick the bucket, cash in one's chips, buy the farm, conk, give-up the ghost, drop dead, pop off, choke, croak, snuff it
13
verb
Meaning 13
deprive of food
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
They starved the prisoners
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: famish
Antonyms: feed
Broader terms: deprive
14
verb
Meaning 14
deprive of a necessity and cause suffering
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he is starving her of love
The engine was starved of fuel
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: deprive
15
verb
Meaning 15
be hungry; go without food
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
Let's eat--I'm starving!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hunger, famish
Antonyms: be full
Broader terms: suffer, hurt
16
verb
Meaning 16
have a craving, appetite, or great desire for
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: crave, hunger, thirst, lust
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: desire, want
History
Etymology
From Middle English sterven (“to die, perish”), from Old English steorfan (“to die, perish”), from Proto-West Germanic *sterban, from Proto-Germanic *sterbaną (“to become stiff, die”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)terp- (“to lose strength, become numb, be motionless”); or from Proto-Indo-European *sterbh- (“to become stiff”), from *ster- (“stiff”); or a conflation of the aforementioned. Cognate with Scots stairve, sterve (“to die, perish, starve”), Saterland Frisian stjerwa (“to die”), West Frisian stjerre (“to die”), Dutch sterven (“to die”), German Low German starven (“to die”), German sterben (“to die”), Icelandic stirfinn (“peevish, froward”), Albanian shterp (“sterile, unproductive, barren land”).
Across languages
Translations
112 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مَاتَ جَوْعًا
(māta jawʕan)
— to die because of lack of food
Asturian:
esfamiar
— to die because of lack of food
Belarusian:
галада́ць
(haladácʹ)
— to die because of lack of food
Bulgarian:
гладувам
(gladuvam)
— to die because of lack of food
Catalan:
morir de gana
— to die because of lack of food
Chinese Mandarin:
餓死 /饿死
(èsǐ)
— to die because of lack of food
Czech:
hladovět
— to die because of lack of food
Dutch:
verhongeren
— to die because of lack of food
Dutch:
sterven van de honger
— to die because of lack of food
Faroese:
svølta
— to die because of lack of food
Finnish:
nääntyä (nälkään)
— to die because of lack of food
Finnish:
nääntyä
— to die because of lack of food
Finnish:
kuolla nälkään
— to die because of lack of food
French:
mourir de faim
— to die because of lack of food
Galician:
esfamear
— to die because of lack of food
Galician:
alangrear
— to die because of lack of food
German:
verhungern
— to die because of lack of food
German:
Hungers sterben
— to die because of lack of food
Greek:
λιμοκτονώ
(limoktonó)
— to die because of lack of food
Hebrew:
גָּוַע
(gavá')
— to die because of lack of food
Hungarian:
éhenhal
— to die because of lack of food
Indonesian:
mati kelaparan
— to die because of lack of food
Italian:
morire di fame
— to die because of lack of food
Japanese:
餓死する
(gashi suru)
— to die because of lack of food
Japanese:
飢える
(ueru)
— to die because of lack of food
Khün:
ᩋᩧ᩠ᨷ
— to die because of lack of food
Korean:
굶어죽다
(gulmeojukda)
— to die because of lack of food
Polish:
głodować
— to die because of lack of food
Portuguese:
morrer de fome
— to die because of lack of food
Romanian:
flămânzi
— to die because of lack of food
Romanian:
suferi de foame
— to die because of lack of food
Romanian:
muri de foame
— to die because of lack of food
Russian:
голода́ть
(golodátʹ)
— to die because of lack of food
Russian:
умира́ть от го́лода
(umirátʹ ot góloda)
— to die because of lack of food
Russian:
умира́ть с го́лоду
(umirátʹ s gólodu)
— to die because of lack of food
Russian:
умира́ть с го́лода
(umirátʹ s góloda)
— to die because of lack of food
Slovak:
hladovať
— to die because of lack of food
Slovene:
stradati
— to die because of lack of food
Spanish:
morir de hambre
— to die because of lack of food
Swedish:
svälta
— to die because of lack of food
Tagalog:
gutumin
— to die because of lack of food
Telugu:
ఆకలిచావు
(ākalicāvu)
— to die because of lack of food
Turkish:
açlıktan ölmek
— to die because of lack of food
Ukrainian:
голодува́ти
(holoduváty)
— to die because of lack of food
Vietnamese:
chết đói
— to die because of lack of food
Azerbaijani:
acından ölmək
— to be very hungry
Bulgarian:
умирам от глад
(umiram ot glad)
— to be very hungry
Chinese Mandarin:
饿死
(èsǐ)
— to be very hungry
Dutch:
rammelen
— to be very hungry
Dutch:
sterven van de honger
— to be very hungry
Finnish:
kuolla nälkään
— to be very hungry
French:
mourir de faim
— to be very hungry
French:
crever de faim
— to be very hungry
French:
crever la dalle
— to be very hungry
French:
avoir l'estomac dans les talons
— to be very hungry
Galician:
esfamear
— to be very hungry
Galician:
alangrear
— to be very hungry
German:
verhungern
— to be very hungry
Greek:
πεθαίνω της πείνας
(pethaíno tis peínas)
— to be very hungry
Greek:
ψοφάω της πείνας
(psofáo tis peínas)
— to be very hungry
Hungarian:
éhezik
— to be very hungry
Indonesian:
kelaparan
— to be very hungry
Japanese:
飢える
(ueru)
— to be very hungry
Old Church Slavonic:
алкати
(alkati)
— to be very hungry
Portuguese:
estar morrendo de fome
— to be very hungry
Portuguese:
estar faminto
— to be very hungry
Portuguese:
estar louco de fome
— to be very hungry
Quechua:
yarqay
— to be very hungry
Quechua:
mallay
— to be very hungry
Romanian:
muri de foame
— to be very hungry
Russian:
проголода́ться
(progolodátʹsja)
— to be very hungry
Russian:
изголода́ться
(izgolodátʹsja)
— to be very hungry
Russian:
умира́ть от го́лода
(umirátʹ ot góloda)
— to be very hungry
Russian:
голода́ть
(golodátʹ)
— to be very hungry
Spanish:
morir de hambre
— to be very hungry
Spanish:
hambrear
— to be very hungry
Swedish:
svälta
— to be very hungry
Swedish:
vara svulten
— to be very hungry
Swedish:
vara utsvulten
— to be very hungry
Tagalog:
magutom
— to be very hungry
Telugu:
ఘోరకలి
(ghōrakali)
— to be very hungry
Turkish:
açlıktan ölmek
— to be very hungry
Vietnamese:
đói ngấu
— to be very hungry
Vietnamese:
đói meo
— to be very hungry
Welsh:
llwgu
— to be very hungry
Yakut:
аас
(aas)
— to be very hungry
Faroese:
svølta
— to destroy by deprivation
Finnish:
näännyttää
— to destroy by deprivation
Finnish:
nälkiinnyttää
— to destroy by deprivation
Swedish:
svälta (ut)
— to destroy by deprivation
Dutch:
uithongeren
— to deprive of nourishment
Esperanto:
malsati
— to deprive of nourishment
Finnish:
näännyttää
— to deprive of nourishment
French:
affamer
— to deprive of nourishment
Galician:
esfamear
— to deprive of nourishment
German:
verhungern lassen
— to deprive of nourishment
German:
aushungern
— to deprive of nourishment
Hungarian:
éheztet
— to deprive of nourishment
Italian:
affamare
— to deprive of nourishment
Japanese:
飢えさせる
(uesaseru)
— to deprive of nourishment
Māori:
whakatiki
— to deprive of nourishment
Māori:
whakapuango
— to deprive of nourishment
Polish:
głodzić
— to deprive of nourishment
Portuguese:
esfomear
— to deprive of nourishment
Romanian:
înfometa
— to deprive of nourishment
Russian:
мори́ть го́лодом
(morítʹ gólodom)
— to deprive of nourishment
Spanish:
hambrear
— to deprive of nourishment
Swedish:
svälta (ut)
— to deprive of nourishment
Telugu:
చప్పిడికూడు
(cappiḍikūḍu)
— to deprive of nourishment
Turkish:
aç bırakmak
— to deprive of nourishment
Finnish:
nääntyä
— obsolete: to die — see also die
Russian:
ча́хнуть
(čáxnutʹ)
— obsolete: to die — see also die