What does hungrier mean?
Hungrier is the comparative form of the adjective hungry, meaning more hungry or more strongly in need of food. It can describe a person, animal, or, by extension, something eagerly seeking a resource: a hungry child, a hungry dog, or a reader who becomes hungrier for each new chapter. Because “more hungry” is often the clearest and least ambiguous wording, hungrier is especially useful when comparing two states or degrees, as in “I felt hungrier after the walk.” The word has no marked regional or social-register restrictions and is standard in everyday English, while “famished” and “ravenous” often sound more dramatic. “Hungry” names the quality itself; “hungrier” places one condition in relation to another, usually one that is even more intense. The form also carries a useful figurative sense: desire can sharpen or intensify. In that use, “hungrier for success” does not imply physical appetite, but it retains the word’s basic metaphor of need and increasing appetite.
adjective (comparative)Hungrier means more hungry, or having a stronger need for food. It can also mean more eager or desirous of something, as in “hungrier for success.”
- More hungry or experiencing a greater need for food.
- More eager or desirous of something, especially a resource, opportunity, or experience.
"The children became hungrier after their walk through the park."
"After skipping lunch, I felt hungrier than I had expected."
"The ambitious publisher was hungrier for a breakthrough than for another award."
Hungrier is where hunger becomes a competition: when your appetite is not just strong, but stronger than it was before.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of hungrier
Hungrier is a regular comparative of hungry, formed by adding -er to the adjective. The base adjective comes from Old English hungrig, related to Old English hungor, meaning hunger, and these belong to a Germanic family reflected in German Hünger and Dutch honger. Modern English adjective comparison produced hungrier as the form meaning “more hungry” and hungriest as the superlative.
Related word forms
How hungrier is actually used
This is standard, neutral English with no significant regional restrictions. “More famished” and “more ravenous” can sound more dramatic, while “more peckish” is informal and often suggests a mild appetite.
Easily confused with hungrier
“Hungry” is the base adjective and can stand alone, while “hungrier” is its comparative form and compares two degrees of hunger.