starved; starving
1
a
: to perish from lack of food
b
: to suffer extreme hunger
2
a
archaic
: to die of cold
b
British
: to suffer greatly from cold
3
: to suffer or perish from deprivation
starved for affection
1
a
: to kill with hunger
b
: to deprive of nourishment
c
: to cause to capitulate by or as if by depriving of nourishment
tried to starve the enemy into submission
2
: to destroy by or cause to suffer from deprivation
starved the program of funds
3
archaic
: to kill with cold
Examples of starve in a Sentence
Without food they would starve.
They left him to starve out in the desert.
providing food for starving children
They tried to starve their enemies into submission.
It was clear that the dog had been starved.
You don't have to starve yourself to lose weight.
Recent Examples on the Web
But the movie ends when Cathy dies, distraught and brokenhearted over Heathcliff and having starved herself during her pregnancy.
—
Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
When the characters aboard the Enterprise stop feeding the conflict, the parasite starves.
—Joe Palaggi, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
One eats the entire thing, leaving the other to starve.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
However, Zelenskyy, backed by European leaders and some members of Congress, has insisted that the sanctions regime against Russia must instead be tightened to starve the Russian war machine of revenue and Western technological components.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for starve
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Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
When the characters aboard the Enterprise stop feeding the conflict, the parasite starves.
—Joe Palaggi, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
One eats the entire thing, leaving the other to starve.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
However, Zelenskyy, backed by European leaders and some members of Congress, has insisted that the sanctions regime against Russia must instead be tightened to starve the Russian war machine of revenue and Western technological components.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for starve
Cite this Entry
“Starve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starve. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
starve
verb
starved; starving
1
: to suffer or die or cause to suffer or die from lack of food
2
: to suffer or die or cause to suffer or die from a lack of something other than food
a child starving for affection
Etymology
Old English steorfan "to die (from any cause)"
Medical Definition
starve
verb
starved; starving
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