starve
starve — verb
1. to become so weak that you die because you have too little to eat, or to force a
to become so weak that you die because you have too little to eat, or to force a person or animal into this state by withholding food.
During the drought, the cattle began to starve because the pastures had turned to dust.
intransitive: starve (without object)
Hao's parents starved themselves to save enough food for their children during the famine.
transitive: starve + reflexive pronoun
The abandoned kittens would have starved to death if a neighbour had not found them.
Christopher refused to eat and threatened to starve himself until his demands were met.
Felix tried to nurse the injured bird, but it starved despite all his care.
文法句型
starve (intransitive)
starve + person/animal + to death
starve + noun (transitive)
be starved (passive)
用法筆記
Frequently used in both transitive patterns (where someone is actively denied food) and intransitive patterns (describing a natural outcome of food shortage). The passive construction 'be starved' is also common, especially in humanitarian contexts.
常見錯誤
2. to feel extremely hungry — used informally as an exaggeration when you have not
to feel extremely hungry — used informally as an exaggeration when you have not eaten for a while.
After a six-hour hike, Hannah announced she was starving and needed food immediately.
progressive aspect: 'was starving'
Felipe had skipped lunch and was absolutely starving by the time dinner was served.
collocation: absolutely starving
The smell of fresh bread from the bakery made Lucía feel like she was starving.
The children came indoors saying they were starving, though they had eaten only an hour ago.
Gabriel forgot his lunch at home and spent the afternoon telling everyone he was starving.
- be ravenous
slightly more formal, but equally strong; suggests a deep hunger
- be famished
informal, similar register; common in British English
文法句型
be starving (continuous/progressive form)
starving for (informal)
feel like + subject + is starving
用法筆記
Almost always used in the continuous/progressive form ('I am starving', 'she was starving'), not the simple present ('I starve'). Avoid this sense in formal writing, where 'very hungry' is preferred.
常見錯誤
3. to be kept from getting enough of something important that you need for your emo
to be kept from getting enough of something important that you need for your emotional, social, or physical well-being — for example, a child starved of love, or a school starved of funding.
Children who are starved of affection often struggle to form close relationships later in life.
passive: be starved of + abstract noun (affection)
The country's rural schools are starved of resources, with few textbooks and no computers.
passive: be starved of + concrete resource
Yara felt the city was culturally starved, with no theatres, galleries, or live music venues.
The public library has been starved of funding for years, and its roof now leaks badly.
Anjali starved for companionship after moving to a new town where she knew absolutely no one.
- lack
broader meaning; applies to anything from food to skill to money
- want
formal or literary; similar to 'lack' but slightly old-fashioned
- be deprived of
close in meaning; expresses the same sense of not having something needed
- have plenty of
having enough or more than enough of something
- be well-supplied with
having everything needed
文法句型
be starved of + noun
starve + noun + of + noun
starve for + noun
用法筆記
Commonly appears in the pattern 'be starved of [something]', where the missing element is usually non-material (affection, attention, investment, creativity). Distinguish from sense 1: this meaning does not involve food or physical starvation.