starve
/stɑːv/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: starves · starved
Sense 1
Meaning · English
To die because of lack of food or of not eating.
Verb
Examples
During the Cultural Revolution I was exiled to Xincai County in Henan Province. There, 36 percent of the people starved to death in the early 1960s.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
To suffer severely because of lack of food or of not eating.
Verb
Examples
Ah (ſaid the Ape as ſighing vvondrous ſad) / Its an hard caſe, vvhen men of good deſeruing / Muſt either driuen be perforce to ſteruing, / Or asked for their pas by euerie ſquib: […]
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “starve” mean?
To die because of lack of food or of not eating.
Is “starve” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.