starvation

starvation — 名詞

1. the serious condition of going without food for a very long period, which can ca

1.名詞B2
釋義

飢餓

長期缺乏食物而瀕死的狀態

the serious condition of going without food for a very long period, which can cause severe illness or death

例句

The long dry season pushed many farming families to the edge of starvation.

長期的乾旱讓許多農家瀕臨飢餓的邊緣。

push + to the edge of [noun] for near-crisis

Quinn's study looked at how starvation in early childhood changes the way the brain grows.

Quinn 的研究探討了幼兒時期的飢餓如何影響大腦發育。

同義詞
  • hunger

    much milder; refers to the normal physical need for food, not a dangerous condition

  • famine

    refers to a widespread food shortage affecting an entire region or population

  • malnutrition

    focuses on poor-quality or insufficient nutrients rather than total lack of food

反義詞
  • nourishment

    the food and nutrients needed for health and growth

  • satiation

    the state of having had enough food

文法句型

die of starvation

suffer from starvation

on the brink of starvation

用法筆記

Not interchangeable with 'hunger.' 'Hunger' refers to the everyday feeling of needing food, while 'starvation' describes a dangerous, prolonged lack of food that can be fatal. Often used in medical, humanitarian, and disaster contexts.

常見錯誤

❌I have starvation because I skipped breakfast.
✅I am hungry because I skipped breakfast.
💡'starvation' describes a life-threatening condition, not ordinary hunger.
❌The cat died of starving.
✅The cat died of starvation.
💡'starvation' is the noun form; 'starving' is the adjective or verb form.

2. the deliberate use of food deprivation to harm, control, or destroy a group of p

2.名詞C1
釋義

斷糧

故意斷絕糧食作為壓迫或攻擊手段

the deliberate use of food deprivation to harm, control, or destroy a group of people, often during a conflict or siege

例句

By cutting off food supplies to the city, the army used starvation as a weapon.

軍隊切斷了城市的所有糧食供應，把斷糧當作武器使用。

use + [noun] + as a weapon — instrumentalizing a condition

During the siege of Sarajevo, prosecutor Ayesha documented deliberate starvation of civilians.

在塞拉耶佛圍城期間，檢察官 Ayesha 記錄了刻意對平民斷糧的行徑。

同義詞
  • blockade

    a broader military tactic that cuts off all supplies, not only food

  • siege

    a military operation surrounding a place to force surrender, which may include starvation as a consequence

反義詞

文法句型

deliberate starvation of [group]

use [noun] as a weapon

starvation of [group] during [event]

用法筆記

Frequently appears in discussions of war crimes, international humanitarian law, and siege tactics. The object of the action is almost always a group (civilians, prisoners, a population) rather than an individual person.