starve
UK: stɑːv | US: stɑːrv
vi. to suffer or die from extreme hunger
vt. to cause someone to suffer or die from hunger
vi. (archaic/dialectal) to perish from cold
starve = starv<to die> + e<verb suffix>
- starv (from Old English steorfan, meaning "to die")
- e (a common verb suffix in Modern English, no standalone meaning)
Etymology Origin:
The word "starve" originated from Old English steorfan, which broadly meant "to die." Over time, its meaning narrowed to specifically denote death or suffering from hunger (by the 16th century). In some dialects, it retained its older sense of perishing from cold. The spelling evolved from steorfan to sterven (Middle English) and later to "starve," influenced by phonetic changes and analogy with other verbs ending in "-ve" (e.g., "serve").
Without food, the explorers began to starve.
The cruel king starved his prisoners as punishment.
In winter, many animals starve due to lack of resources.
(Archaic) "They feared they would starve of cold in the mountains."
Charities work to prevent children from starving in famine-stricken regions.