1.
hunger, starvation
The state of suffering from lack of food.
飢えに苦しむ。
To suffer from hunger.
飢えと渇きで倒れた。
I collapsed from hunger and thirst.
戦争で多くの人が飢えに苦しんだ。
Many people suffered from starvation during the war.
2.
craving, yearning
A strong desire or longing for something one lacks, used figuratively.
愛情に飢えている。
To be starved for affection.
知識への飢えが彼を動かしている。
A hunger for knowledge drives him.
勝利に飢えた選手たちが全力でプレーした。
The players, hungry for victory, played with all their might.
The noun form of the verb 飢える (to starve, to hunger). Used both literally for physical hunger and figuratively for emotional or intellectual craving.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 飢えに苦しむ — to suffer from hunger
- 飢えと渇き — hunger and thirst
- 飢えをしのぐ — to stave off hunger
- 愛情に飢えている — to be starved for affection
- 飢えた目 — hungry eyes (figurative)
USAGE:
The literal sense is used in serious contexts such as famine, poverty, and historical narratives. The figurative sense is common in everyday language and journalism, often with に飢えている (starved for ~).
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 空腹 — hunger (physical, neutral/medical)
- 飢餓 — famine, starvation (more severe, large-scale)