“hungry”

Suffering from extreme hunger, often to the point of weakness.

“She arrived at the dinner party famished, having skipped every meal that day.”

Best for: Everyday elevated speech; slightly dramatic but widely understood.

Intensely and urgently hungry, like a predator driven by appetite.

“After the ten-mile hike, the children were ravenous and tore into their sandwiches.”

Best for: Great for vivid, physical descriptions; carries an animalistic edge.

Mildly hungry, experiencing a light or casual appetite.

“I'm a bit peckish — do you have anything small I could nibble on?”

Best for: Conversational British English; charming and understated.

Voraciously hungry or greedily desirous, from the Latin for craving.

“The esurient scholar consumed knowledge the way others consumed bread.”

Best for: Highly formal or literary contexts; impresses but risks obscurity.

Experiencing a deep, aching emptiness in the stomach from lack of food.

“By noon he felt utterly hollow, his stomach echoing with each step.”

Best for: Literary or poetic writing; evokes a visceral, physical sensation.

Wolf-like in appetite or manner, suggesting fierce predatory hunger.

“There was something lupine in the way he eyed the feast laid before him.”

Best for: Literary fiction; best used metaphorically for dramatic, primal hunger.