What does "starvation" mean?
A condition of severe suffering due to a lack of nutrition.
Starvation
/stɑɹˈveɪʃən/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A condition of severe suffering due to a lack of nutrition.
- Grammar: starvation is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: absence, abstemious, abstinence, abstinence from food.
- Useful contrasts: basic nourishment, daily sustenance, nourishing experience.
- Usage evidence: When we were on the brink of starvation, they saved our lives.
How to use "starvation"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "starvation" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "starvation" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "starvation" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "starvation" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "starvation" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absence" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "starvation", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A condition of severe suffering due to a lack of nutrition. countable, uncountable
""We haven't one chance for life in a hundred thousand if we don't find food and water upon Caprona. This water coming out of the cliff is not salt; but neither is it fit to drink, though each of us has drunk. It is fair to assume that inland the river is fed by pure streams, that there are fruits and herbs and game. Shall we lie out here and die of thirst and starvation with a land of plenty possibly only a few hundred yards away? We have the means for navigating a subterranean river. Are we too cowardly to utilize this means?""
- 2 the act of depriving of food or subjecting to famine wordnet
- 3 Severe shortage of resources. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"Fuel starvation has several causes."
- 4 a state of extreme hunger resulting from lack of essential nutrients over a prolonged period wordnet
- 5 A state where a process is perpetually denied necessary resources to process its work. countable, uncountable
"Whenever multiple threads compete for a scarce resource, there is the danger of starvation, a situation in which the thread never gets the resource."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
basic nourishmentdaily sustenancenourishing experiencemost total energy consumption
Example
"When we were on the brink of starvation, they saved our lives."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "starvation"?
Common synonyms include: absence, abstemious, abstinence, abstinence from food, ascetic, asphyxiation.
How do you use "starvation" in a sentence?
When we were on the brink of starvation, they saved our lives.
How do you pronounce "starvation"?
Pronounced /stɑɹˈveɪʃən/.
Etymology
From starve + -ation.