What does hungered mean?
Hungered is the past-tense and past-participle form of the verb hunger, meaning to experience hunger or to feel a powerful desire for something. In its literal sense, it describes a lack of food: people or animals who have gone without nourishment hunger for a meal. In figurative use, it expresses a deep or urgent longing, as in someone who hungered for knowledge, freedom, or artistic success. The word is chiefly literary, archaic, and poetic today, giving it a more elevated and emotional tone than the ordinary expression “was hungry for.” It can therefore add intensity and narrative color to descriptions of physical deprivation or strong aspiration, though modern speakers usually prefer “was hungry” or “longed for” in everyday conversation.
verbTo feel hunger or to experience a strong desire for something. The word is now mainly literary or archaic, though it remains understandable in modern English.
- To experience hunger or lack of food.
- To have a strong desire or longing for something.
"The stranded travelers hungered for food and shelter."
"After several days without food, the survivors hungered for anything edible."
"She hungered for the chance to return to the stage and perform again."
“Hungered” carries the elevated tone of old storytelling: it suggests not only an empty stomach but also an intense longing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hungered come from?
The word comes from the same Old English root as hunger and hungry, an inherited Germanic word connected with the experience of needing food. In Middle English, the verb developed the form hunger and regularly used the ending -ed, producing hungered. The verb ultimately relates to the noun hunger and the adjective hungry, while also sharing its basic sense with cognates in other Germanic languages.
Related word forms
How hungered is actually used
Hungered is literary, archaic, or poetic in contemporary English. It can sound more dramatic and elevated than the modern verb “hungered for” is often replaced by “was hungry for” or “longed for.”
Easily confused with hungered
Hunger is the noun referring to the need or feeling of being hungry, whereas hungered is the past-tense or past-participle form of the verb.
Hung means suspended or fastened, while hungered means to feel hunger or a strong desire.