# hunger
## English
### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈhʌŋɡə/
* (General American) IPA: /ˈhʌŋɡɚ/
* Audio (General American):(file)
* Rhymes: -ʌŋɡə(ɹ)
* Hyphenation: hun‧ger

### Etymology 1

From Middle English hunger, from Old English hungor (“hunger, desire; famine”), from Proto-West Germanic *hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hungruz, *hunhruz (“hunger”), from Proto-Indo-European *kenk- (“to burn, smart, desire, hunger, thirst”).
Cognate with West Frisian honger, hûnger (“hunger”), Dutch honger (“hunger”), German Low German Hunger (“hunger”), German Hunger (“hunger”), Swedish hunger (“hunger”), Icelandic hungur (“hunger”).

#### Noun

hunger (countable and uncountable, plural hungers)
* A need or compelling desire for food.
* (by extension) Any strong desire or need.
    I have a hunger to win.
** 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 1:O sacred hunger of ambitious minds!
** 2003, “What Up Gangsta”, in Curtis Jackson, Rob Tewlow (lyrics), Reef Tewlow (music), Get Rich or Die Tryin', performed by 50 Cent, New York City: Shady Records:When gangsters bump my shit, can they feel my hunger?
** 2025 February 6, Angelica Evans, “Ukraine’s Kursk Incursion: Six Month Assessment”, in Ukraine Project, Institute for the Study of War:Putin's unwillingness to declare another partial reserve call up has created a wider manpower hunger in the Russian military and border service, and Putin alone maintains the ability to remedy this issue.

##### Usage notes

The phrase be hungry is more common than have hunger to express a need for food.

##### Antonyms

* satiety
* satiation

##### Derived terms

* air hunger
* anti-hunger
* enhunger
* father hunger
* from hunger
* hunger is a good sauce
* hunger is the best pickle
* hunger is the best sauce
* hunger is the best seasoning
* hunger is the best spice
* hunger knock
* hungerless
* hunger moon
* hunger pain
* hunger-pain
* hunger pang
* hunger sauce
* hungersome
* hunger stone
* hunger strike
* hungry
* ravenous hunger
* shell hunger
* skin hunger

##### Translations

Abkhaz: амла (amla)
Afar: luwa
Aghwan: 𐔱𐕒𐕡𐕚 (bus)
Akan: ɔkɔm
Albanian: uri (sq) f
Andi: моко (moko)
Arabic: جُوع m (jūʕ)
Egyptian Arabic: جوع m (ḡūʕ)
Gulf Arabic: يوع m (yūʕ)
Aragonese: fambre (an)
Armenian: քաղց (hy) (kʻaġcʻ), սով (hy) (sov)
Aromanian: foami f
Assamese: ভোক (bhük)
Asturian: fame f
Avar: ракъи (raqxʼi)
Azerbaijani: aclıq (az)
Bashkir: аслыҡ (aslıq)
Basque: gose
Belarusian: го́лад (be) m (hólad)
Bengali: খিদা (bn) (khida), ভুখ (bn) (bhukh), ক্ষুধা (bn) (khudha), ভুক (bhuk)
Breton: naon (br) m
Bulgarian: глад (bg) m (glad)
Burmese: အငတ် (my) (a.ngat), အဆာ (my) (a.hca)
Carpathian Rusyn: го́лод m (hólod)
Catalan: gana (ca) f, fam (ca) m
Cebuano: gutom
Central Atlas Tamazight: ⵍⴰⵥ (laẓ)
Chechen: мацалла (macalla)
Chichewa: njala
Chinese:
Mandarin: 飢餓 / 饥饿 (zh) (jī'è)
Chukchi: гытъатгыргын (gytʺatgyrgyn)
Chuvash: выҫӑ (vyś̬ă), выҫлӑх (vyślăh)
Coptic: ϩⲕⲟ (hko)
Cornish: nown m
Czech: hlad (cs) m
Dalmatian: fum m
Danish: sult (da)
Dutch: honger (nl) m, trek (nl)
Egyptian: (ḥqr)
Esperanto: malsato
Estonian: nälg
Even: дьэмкэн (ʒəmkən)
Evenki: дему (ʒemu)
Faroese: hungur m or n, svongd f, svultur m
Finnish: nälkä (fi)
French: faim (fr) f
Friulian: fan f
Galician: fame (gl) f, fame negra (gl) f, larota f, gatuza f, larica f, garula f, farca f, carpulla f, garita f
Georgian: შიმშილი (šimšili)
German: Hunger (de) m
Gothic: 𐌷𐌿𐌷𐍂𐌿𐍃 m (hūhrus)
Greek: πείνα (el) f (peína) (daily/ordinary need of food), λιγούρα f (ligoúra) (desperate need of food), ασιτία f (asitía) (scarcity of food due to natural disaster), λιμός m (limós) (scarcity of food due to war)
Ancient: πεῖνα f (peîna), λιμός m (limós), σιτοδεία f (sitodeía)
Greenlandic: please add this translation if you can
Hadza: házze
Haitian Creole: grangou
Hebrew: רָעָב (he) m (ra'áv)
Hindi: भूख (hi) f (bhūkh)
Hungarian: éhség (hu)
Icelandic: hungur (is) n, sultur (is) m
Ido: hungro (io)
Indonesian: lapar (id)
Ingrian: nälkä
Ingush: мецавалар (mecavalar)
Interlingua: fame (ia)
Irish: ocras (ga) m
Istriot: fan
Istro-Romanian: fome
Italian: fame (it) f
Japanese: 飢え (ja) (うえ, ue), 空腹 (ja) (くうふく, kūfuku), 飢餓 (ja) (きが, kiga)
Kabuverdianu: fómi
Kapampangan: danup, keranupan
Kazakh: аштық (aştyq)
Khakas: ас (as)
Khalaj: âç
Kikuyu: ng'aragu class 9
Korean: 굶주림 (ko) (gumjurim), 배고픔 (ko) (baegopeum)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: برسێتی (birsêtî)
Northern Kurdish: birçîtî (ku)
Kyrgyz: ачтык (ky) (actık)
Latgalian: olkonums, bods
Latin: famēs f
Latvian: bads m
Lingala: nzala
Lithuanian: alkis (lt) m
Lombard: famm (lmo)
Louisiana Creole French: fim, gran-gou
Luxembourgish: Honger m
Macedonian: глад m (glad)
Malay: lapar (ms)
Maltese: ġuħ (mt) m
Manx: accrys m
Maranao: gotem
Marathi: भूख (bhūkh)
Mongolian: өлсгөлөн (mn) (ölsgölön)
Navajo: dichin
Nepali: भोक (bhok)
Norman: fôim f (Guernsey)
Northern Sami: nealgi
Norwegian:
Bokmål: sult (no) m, hunger (no) m
Nynorsk: svolt m, hunger m
Occitan: fam (oc)
Odia: ଭୋକ (or) (bhoka)
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: гладъ m (gladŭ)
Old East Slavic: голодъ m (golodŭ)
Old English: hungor m
Old High German: hungar m
Old Norse: hungr n
Old Turkic: 𐰀𐰲𐰾𐰴 (āčsïq)
Ossetian: стонг (stong)
Ottoman Turkish: آجلق (aclık)
Papiamentu: hamber
Pashto: لوږه f (lwᶕɀa)
Persian: گرسنگی (fa) (gorosnegi)
Plautdietsch: Hunga m
Polish: głód (pl) m
Portuguese: fome (pt) f
Quechua: yarqay
Rohingya: búk
Romagnol: fâm f
Romani: bok
Romanian: foame (ro) f
Romansch: fom
Russian: го́лод (ru) m (gólod)
Saho: luwa
Sango: nzala (sg)
Sanskrit: बुभुक्षा (sa) f (bubhukṣā)
Sardinian: fàmene
Scottish Gaelic: acras m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: глад m
Roman: glad (sh) m
Sicilian: fami (scn)
Sindhi: بک (sd)
Slovak: hlad (sk) m
Slovene: lakota (sl) f
Somali: gaajo
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: głod m
Upper Sorbian: hłód m
Southern Altai: ач (ač)
Spanish: hambre (es) f, carpanta (es) f (colloquial), gazuza (es) f (colloquial), gusa f (Spain, colloquial), hambrina f (great or extreme hunger), fambre (es) f (disused), fiaca (es) f (intense hunger, Uruguay), marceada (es) f (excessive hunger, El Salvador), hambreada (es) f (excessive hunger)
Sranan Tongo: angri
Swahili: njaa (sw), unenge (sw)
Swedish: hunger (sv)
Tajik: гуруснагӣ (tg) (gurusnagi)
Tamil: பசி (ta) (paci)
Tatar: ачлык (tt) (açlıq)
Telugu: ఆకలి (te) (ākali)
Tetum: laha, hamlaha
Thai: ความหิว (th) (kwaam-hǐu)
Tibetan: please add this translation if you can
Tocharian B: kest
Tumbuka: njala
Turkish: açlık (tr), aç (tr)
Turkmen: açlyk (tk), aaçlyk
Tuvan: аш (aş)
Ugaritic: 𐎗𐎙𐎁𐎐 (rġbn)
Ukrainian: го́лод m (hólod)
Urdu: بھوک f (bhūk)
Uyghur: ئاچلىق (achliq)
Uzbek: ochlik (uz)
Venetan: fan f
Vietnamese: đói (vi)
Vili: nzala
Votic: ńältše
Walloon: fwin (wa) f
Welsh: newyn m
West Frisian: honger, hûnger
Yakut: аас (aas)
Yiddish: הונגער m (hunger) :

#### See also

* thirst

### Etymology 2

From Middle English hungren, from Old English hyngran, hyngrian, ġehyngrian (“to be hungry”), from Proto-West Germanic *hungrijan, from Proto-Germanic *hungrijaną.

#### Verb

hunger (third-person singular simple present hungers, present participle hungering, simple past and past participle hungered)
* (intransitive) To be in need of food.
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 12:20:Therefore if thine enemie hunger, feed him: if he thirst, giue him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire on his head.
* (figuratively, intransitive, usually with 'for' or 'after') To have a desire (for); to long; to yearn.
    I hungered for your love.
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 5:6:Blessed are they which doe hunger and thirst after righteousnesse: for they shall be filled.
** 1993, The The, Love Is Stronger Than Death:In our lives we hunger for those we cannot touch.
* (archaic, transitive) To make hungry; to famish.

##### Derived terms

* ahungered/anhungered
* forhungered

##### Translations
### References

* “hunger”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

### Anagrams

* rehung

## Danish
### Etymology

From Old Norse hungr.

### Noun

hunger c (singular definite hungeren, not used in plural form)
* (dated, occasionally humorous) hunger
    Synonym: sult
** (figurative) a strong urge; a longing (for something)

#### Declension
### Derived terms

* hungersnød
* hungerkatastrofe
* hungerramt
* livshunger
* ulvehunger
* hungersnødsramt

### Related terms

* hungre
* hungrig

### Further reading

* “hunger” in Den Danske Ordbog

## German
### Verb

hunger
* inflection of hungern:
** first-person singular present
** singular imperative

## Middle English
### Alternative forms

* hunguer, honguer, honger, hungre, hongre, hungere, hongur, hounger, hounguer, hungir, hungyr, hungur
* hungær, hungor, hunnꟑerr (Early Middle English)

### Etymology

From Old English hungor, from Proto-West Germanic *hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hungruz.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈhunɡər/, [ˈhuŋɡər]

### Noun

hunger (uncountable)
* Hungriness; the feeling of being hungry or requiring satiation.
* Hunger; a great lack or death of food or nutrition.
** p. 1154, “AD 1137”, in Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS. Laud Misc. 636, continuation), Peterborough, folio 89, verso; republished at Oxford: Digital Bodleian, 2018 February 8:Mani þusen hi drapen mid hungær.Many thousands they overcame with hunger.
* A shortage of food in a region or country; widespread hunger.
** a. 1382, John Wycliffe, “2 Paralipomenon 6:28”, in Wycliffe's Bible:If hungur riſiþ in þe lond and peſtilence and ruſt and wynd diſtriynge cornes and a locuste and bꝛuke comeþ and if enemyes biſegen þe ȝatis of þe citee aftir þat þe cuntreis ben diſtried and al veniaunce and ſikenesse oppꝛeſſiþ […]If hunger rises in the land, and pestilence, rust, wind, destroying grain, and locusts and their young come, and if enemies besiege a city's gates after the city's surrounds are ruined, and when any destruction and disease oppresses (people) […]
* Hunger as a metaphorical individual; the force of hunger.
* (rare) Any strong drive or compulsion.

#### Derived terms

* hungren
* hungry
* hungrylych

#### Descendants

* English: hunger
* Scots: hounger, hunger

#### References

* “hunger, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-19.

## Middle High German
### Etymology

From Old High German hungar, from Proto-West Germanic *hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hungruz, from Proto-Indo-European *kenk-.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (before 13th CE) /ˈhuŋɡər/

### Noun

hunger m
* famine
* hunger (need for food)
* (figurative) hunger (strong desire)

#### Descendants

* Central Franconian:
** Hunsrik: Hunger
** Luxembourgish: Honger
* Cimbrian: hungar, hummar (Luserna)
* German: Hunger
* Yiddish: הונגער (hunger)

### References

* Benecke, Georg Friedrich, Müller, Wilhelm, Zarncke, Friedrich (1863) “hunger”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch: mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Benecke, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel
* "hunger" in Köbler, Gerhard, Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch (3rd edition 2014)

## North Frisian
### Alternative forms

* honger (Föhr-Amrum)
* Hunger (Sylt)

### Etymology

from Old Frisian hunger, from Proto-West Germanic *hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hungruz.

### Noun

hunger m
* (Mooring) hunger

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology

From Old Norse hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hunhruz.

### Noun

hunger m (definite singular hungeren, uncountable)
* hunger

#### Synonyms

* sult

#### Derived terms

* hungersnød (“famine”)

#### Related terms

* hungrig

### References

* “hunger” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology

From Old Norse hungr.

### Noun

hunger m (definite singular hungeren) (uncountable)
* hunger

#### Synonyms

* svolt

#### Derived terms

* hungersnaud, hungersnød

#### Related terms

* hungrig

### References

* “hunger” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

## Swedish
### Etymology

From Old Norse hungr, from Proto-Germanic *hunhruz.

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Noun

hunger c (uncountable)
* hunger
    att känna hungerto feel hunger

#### Derived terms

* lufthunger

#### Related terms

* hungrig (“hungry”)
* hungra (“to hunger”)

### See also

* törst (“thirst”)

### References

* hunger in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* hunger in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
* hunger in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)