Hungrier

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. An intensified state of longing for food that exceeds ordinary levels
2. Experiencing a greater desire for food than usual
3. Feeling an increased need to consume something nutritious

Etymology: "Hungrier" is simply the comparative of "hungry," so its history is that of the adjective it modifies. "Hungry" descends from Old English "hungriġ," which grew from the noun "hunger" plus the suffix "-y," meaning "full of" or "characterised by." The comparative adds the usual "-er" to form "hungrier," a version of the same base. The root reaches back much further. "Hungry" traces to a Proto-Germanic form, "*hungrugaz," and its relatives are still spoken across the Germanic languages: German "hungrig," Dutch "hongerig," Swedish "hungrig," and Icelandic "hungraður" all mean the same thing. That shared family shows the sense of desire for food was already expressed in the common ancestor of these languages, long before English existed as a separate tongue.

Synonyms: more famished, more ravenous

Antonyms: full, satisfied