What does hungry mean?
Hungry is an adjective meaning that someone feels a need to eat or has a strong desire for food. It can also describe a person, organization, or market that is eager for something valuable, such as knowledge, opportunity, investment, or growth. The literal use is everyday and neutral: a hungry visitor may ask where lunch is available. The figurative use is common in journalism and business, as in hungry for success or a hungry market, and suggests active ambition rather than merely lacking something. When describing people, hungry can sound direct and sometimes slightly informal, but it remains widely accepted in everyday conversation and formal writing. Its standard comparative and superlative forms are hungrier and hungriest.
adjectiveFeeling a need to eat; having a strong desire for food. In figurative use, it means having a strong desire or ambition for something.
- Experiencing a need or strong desire to eat.
- Having a strong desire or ambition for something, as in hungry for success.
"After the long hike, we were hungry and ready for a substantial meal."
"The children were hungry by the time they reached the house."
"The young team was hungry for a chance to prove themselves."
Hungry can describe not only an empty stomach, but also an ambitious person: a hungry entrepreneur is eager for opportunities and growth.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hungry come from?
Hungry comes through Middle English from an Old English form related to the Germanic root represented by Old English hungor, meaning hunger or lack of food. The word belongs to the same Germanic family as modern German Hunger and Dutch honger. Its development also reflects the broader Indo-European tradition of cognate words associated with the idea of hunger or desire, including the Latin word hūnger.
How hungry is actually used
In its literal sense, hungry is common in formal and informal English. Its figurative sense is especially common in journalism, business, and political writing, where it describes ambition, appetite, or a strong desire for something.
Easily confused with hungry
Hungry refers to a need for food, while thirsty refers to a need for drink.
Hunger is the physical need or sensation itself, whereas hungry describes a person or thing experiencing that need.