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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
On social media, where nothing Jeffries does is credible, there’s a hunger for Democrats to identify a few specific, popular bills that every candidate can run on this fall. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Their nonprofit aims to donate and plant 5,000 fig trees, addressing hunger in a county where David Burke says one in five families lives below the federal poverty level. — Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026 In a post after the charity festival, performer Chappell Roan gushed about the experience and praised organizer Olivia Rodrigo, while also revealing that the event reignited her own hunger for playing shows. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2026 The United Nations World Food Program has warned that tens of millions could be pushed into hunger. — Matt Sedensky, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 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
  • Long-standing problems and new barriers are combining to make a career in dietetics less appealing and less financially feasible, just as the nation is increasing its appetite for nutrition in health care.
    — Lauren Chan, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Customers from the Middle East and Southeast Asia have also expressed an appetite for the brand.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of appetite
Noun
  • More than just thirst quenchers, functional beverages are engineered to deliver a wellness punch with vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, electrolytes, probiotics and enzymes for gut health and adaptogens for mood support.
    — Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • What the estate has built in the 15 years since his death is a testament to the thirst for life that the artist had while on this earth.
    — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of thirst
Noun
  • The staffers of the Truth Teller start the second season pumped with enthusiasm after their winning night at an Ohio journalism awards ceremony.
    — Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Organizers are hoping to boost GOP enthusiasm, but the confab is getting a lackluster reception from some in the party.
    — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of enthusiasm
Noun
  • The Khmer Rouge group that ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979 was accused of genocide for causing the deaths of so many countrymen from executions, starvation and lack of medical care due to its radical policies.
    — Sopheng Cheang, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The Khmer Rouge group that ruled Cambodia from 1975–79 was accused of genocide for causing the deaths of so many of their countrymen from executions, starvation, and lack of medical care due to its radical policies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of starvation
Noun
  • Chips aren’t the only way to satisfy a craving for something crunchy.
    — Jennifer Berger, Verywell Health, 31 Aug. 2026
  • But yeah, just how quickly the cravings to check my phone all the time really receded.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of craving
Noun
  • Salmonella infection can cause diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting, according to the CDC.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • How do your feelings about your stomach affect your daily life?
    — Margaret Cirino, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of stomach
Noun
  • Fall summons the urge to nest, and as temperatures drop, so does the desire to leave the house.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Trout, the face of the franchise, has nonetheless been clear and direct about his desire to remain in Anaheim.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of desire
Noun
  • Over time, his desire to pursue his life’s work became inseparable from a larger longing for personal freedom.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
  • This paradox—a longing for beauty to be distributed equally, even though it cannot be diluted for ease of distribution, and might even require rarity—is why the period continues to fascinate me.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of longing

Phrases Containing hunger

Browse Nearby Words

hung back
hunger
hungered (for)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hunger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hunger. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hunger

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hunger

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All