starvation

Everyday

1. Serious suffering or death caused by having little or no food for a long time. tree →
2. (informal, exaggerated) Being very hungry: «I'm dying of starvation!» said jokingly before tea. tree →

In the lessons

In history and geography lessons, starvation happens in famines, sieges and wars, like the Irish Great Famine (1845–1852) or the Holodomor in Ukraine (1932–1933); in news, aid groups bring food to people facing starvation. In science, the body without food uses its fat and then muscle. In everyday jokes children exaggerate hunger. Phrases: «starvation wages» (very low pay), «die of starvation».

Examples

• During the famine, many people died of starvation. tree →
• Aid agencies are working to prevent starvation in the war zone. tree →
• The Holodomor caused the starvation of millions of Ukrainians. tree →
• Animals in the snow can face starvation in a hard winter. tree →
• "Is tea ready? I'm dying of starvation!" tree →
• Using hunger and starvation as a weapon of war is against international law. tree →
• To get down was utterly impossible, it seemed as if he must die of starvation. tree →

Note

Uncountable; from «starve» (drop e, add -ation). Hunger is the feeling; starvation is the dangerous state. Jokey use is exaggeration, not literal.