hunger 1 of 2

noun

ˈhəŋ-gər How to pronounce hunger (audio)
Definition of hungernext
1
as in appetite
a need or desire for food no degree of hunger would induce me to eat octopus

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thirst
a strong wish for something a lonely girl with a desperate hunger for love

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3
as in enthusiasm
urgent desire or interest reads everything he can find on airplanes with a seemingly insatiable hunger

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hunger (for)

2 of 2

verb

as in to crave
to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy voters hungering for honest and upright leadership

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hunger
Noun
Restrictions on the entry of goods and aid have contributed to a hunger crisis, food security experts say. — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 That’s the early potential of a new slate of injections, pills, and combination regimens targeting the amylin pathway, which involves a hormone released in the pancreas alongside insulin that helps regulate hunger and fullness. — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026 There’s more hunger for IP, but also more hunger for fresh, original work that isn’t based on anything. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 But the top scorer in league history decided his hunger for another title was greater than his desire to stay by Bronny's side. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hunger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hunger
  1. appetite
  2. thirst
  3. enthusiasm
  4. starvation
  5. craving
  6. stomach
  7. desire
  8. longing
Noun
  • Of note for more adventurous appetites are the oxtail and blue cheese pizza or Zambian whole bream fish.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The asset manager is among a growing number of global firms in Abu Dhabi’s financial center, ADGM, drawn by proximity to sovereign wealth funds like ADIA and Mubadala, family offices, and the region’s expanding appetite for private credit.
    — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of appetite
Noun
  • The trend not only reflects the reach of the broader wellness and longevity movement, but also a thirst for communal experience and social connection, particularly in the wake of the pandemic.
    — Will Stone, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Naturally, many of those discussions gravitated toward data centers and AI’s thirst for electrons.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of thirst
Noun
  • That’s on par with the level of enthusiasm expressed by Republicans and Democrats.
    — Julio Borquez, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Though expressing enthusiasm about his transfer destination, Louisville, Flory Bidunga spoke glowingly about his previous school, Kansas, during Tuesday’s ACC basketball media day event held in Charlotte, North Carolina.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of enthusiasm
Noun
  • However, sometime within the past three years, an unknown person apparently hacked the mission’s voicemail, rerecording the greeting message as a satirical monologue about mass starvation and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
    — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Those being deported today weren’t captured and sold into bondage; many left home to escape civil war, gang violence or starvation.
    — Karen Masterson, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of starvation
Noun
  • Keep one in your freezer for whenever your pumpkin pie craving strikes.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Jennifer King is getting brain surgery at Allegheny General Hospital to hopefully control her opioid addiction cravings.
    — Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of craving
Noun
  • Wells' family and their lawyers disputed the grand jury's findings, pointing to unexplained bruising on the back of his head and noting that his airways and stomach were devoid of water.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Keith died in February 2024 following a battle with stomach cancer.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of stomach
Noun
  • Alfonso recalled their discussions about how setting and movement could express the desire to survive.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The desire for these transformative products was never innate, and LACMA’s exhibition zeroes in on that idea from the start.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of desire
Noun
  • The Incredible Hulk, the Thing, He-Man, Superman—these cartoon heroes must fulfill some kind of longing.
    — Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Despite the claims of any number of charlatans who prey on the American brand of cuddly benighted ignorance, the universe will not manifest an alternate reality for anyone who simply wishes for it with sufficient longing.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of longing

Phrases Containing hunger

Browse Nearby Words

hung back
hunger
hungered (for)
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Cite this Entry

“Hunger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hunger. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hunger

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hunger

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