50 Idioms for Hungry with Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Hungry
1. Hungry as a wolf
Meaning: Extremely hungry.
In a Sentence: After skipping lunch, he was as hungry as a wolf.
Other Ways to Say: Famished, ravenous
2. Stomach is growling
Meaning: The sound your stomach makes when you’re hungry.
In a Sentence: Her stomach was growling loudly during the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Belly rumbling, hunger pangs
3. Eat like a horse
Meaning: To eat a lot.
In a Sentence: He eats like a horse after his gym sessions.
Other Ways to Say: Devour food, consume heavily
4. Could eat a horse
Meaning: Extremely hungry.
In a Sentence: I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse!
Other Ways to Say: Starving, famished
5. On a starving diet
Meaning: To be very hungry, as if on a strict diet.
In a Sentence: Waiting for dinner felt like being on a starving diet.
Other Ways to Say: Famished, ravenous
6. Eyes bigger than your stomach
Meaning: Wanting more food than you can actually eat.
In a Sentence: I ordered too much; my eyes were bigger than my stomach.
Other Ways to Say: Overestimated appetite, overordered
7. Have the munchies
Meaning: A sudden craving for food, often snacks.
In a Sentence: After the movie, I really had the munchies.
Other Ways to Say: Craving, snacking urge
8. Eat someone out of house and home
Meaning: Eat a lot and consume someone else’s food supply.
In a Sentence: My teenage son is eating me out of house and home.
Other Ways to Say: Constantly hungry, big eater
9. Feed the beast
Meaning: To satisfy hunger.
In a Sentence: I need a burger to feed the beast inside me.
Other Ways to Say: Satisfy cravings, eat
10. Hollow legs
Meaning: A humorous way to describe someone who eats a lot.
In a Sentence: That boy must have hollow legs; he’s always hungry.
Other Ways to Say: Big appetite, endless stomach
11. Craving something fierce
Meaning: Wanting food very badly.
In a Sentence: I’m craving something fierce—maybe spicy noodles.
Other Ways to Say: Intense hunger, food desire
12. Starving like Marvin
Meaning: A playful way to say you’re very hungry.
In a Sentence: I skipped lunch and now I’m starving like Marvin.
Other Ways to Say: Famished, extremely hungry
13. Bottomless pit
Meaning: Someone who never seems full.
In a Sentence: He’s a bottomless pit during dinner time.
Other Ways to Say: Always hungry, nonstop eater
14. Gut is eating itself
Meaning: Feeling extremely hungry.
In a Sentence: My gut is eating itself—I need food now.
Other Ways to Say: Famished, starving
15. Peckish
Meaning: Slightly hungry.
In a Sentence: I’m feeling a bit peckish—maybe just a snack.
Other Ways to Say: Lightly hungry, snack-ready
16. Ravenous appetite
Meaning: Extremely eager to eat.
In a Sentence: After the hike, we all had a ravenous appetite.
Other Ways to Say: Starving, famished
17. Gnawing hunger
Meaning: A persistent, intense hunger.
In a Sentence: She felt a gnawing hunger from skipping breakfast.
Other Ways to Say: Deep hunger, persistent craving
18. Could eat nonstop
Meaning: Feeling like eating constantly.
In a Sentence: After fasting, I felt like I could eat nonstop.
Other Ways to Say: Constant hunger, relentless appetite
19. Like a bear coming out of hibernation
Meaning: Extremely hungry after a long time.
In a Sentence: He ate like a bear coming out of hibernation.
Other Ways to Say: Starving, ravenous
20. Famished beyond belief
Meaning: Extremely and unbelievably hungry.
In a Sentence: She was famished beyond belief after her workout.
Other Ways to Say: Very hungry, starving
21. Need to refuel
Meaning: Need to eat to restore energy.
In a Sentence: After class, I need to refuel with a big meal.
Other Ways to Say: Replenish, grab food
22. Starving to death
Meaning: Exaggerated expression for extreme hunger.
In a Sentence: I haven’t eaten since morning—I’m starving to death!
Other Ways to Say: Famished, ravenous
23. Mouth watering
Meaning: So hungry or food looks so good that your mouth waters.
In a Sentence: Just smelling the pizza made my mouth water.
Other Ways to Say: Tempted, craving
24. Hit the hunger wall
Meaning: A point where you can’t go without food anymore.
In a Sentence: I hit the hunger wall during the road trip.
Other Ways to Say: Breaking point, need food now
25. Running on empty
Meaning: Have no energy left due to hunger.
In a Sentence: I’m running on empty—need lunch fast.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, hungry
26. Hunger pangs
Meaning: Sharp feelings of hunger.
In a Sentence: Hunger pangs hit me in the middle of the class.
Other Ways to Say: Stomach growls, emptiness
27. Belly barking
Meaning: Stomach making noise due to hunger.
In a Sentence: My belly’s barking—it’s lunchtime.
Other Ways to Say: Growling stomach, noisy hunger
28. Food on the brain
Meaning: Constantly thinking about food.
In a Sentence: During meetings, I always have food on the brain.
Other Ways to Say: Craving, hungry thoughts
29. Starved for flavor
Meaning: Craving something delicious.
In a Sentence: I’m starved for flavor—let’s get spicy tacos.
Other Ways to Say: Hungry for taste, craving spice
30. Eaten alive by hunger
Meaning: Overwhelmed by hunger.
In a Sentence: I felt like I was being eaten alive by hunger.
Other Ways to Say: Starving, famished
31. Have a Bottomless Stomach
Meaning: To eat a lot without ever feeling full.
In a Sentence: Jake eats like he has a bottomless stomach—he never seems satisfied.
Other Ways to Say: Never full, insatiable appetite
32. Eat Like It’s the Last Supper
Meaning: To eat hungrily or excessively.
In a Sentence: After the hike, they ate like it was the last supper.
Other Ways to Say: Devour food, eat ravenously
33. Ravenous as a Wolf
Meaning: Extremely hungry.
In a Sentence: After working all day, I was ravenous as a wolf.
Other Ways to Say: Starving, famished
34. Bite the Plate
Meaning: To be so hungry that you could eat even the plate.
In a Sentence: I was so hungry I could bite the plate!
Other Ways to Say: Desperate to eat, absolutely starving
35. Gnawing Hunger
Meaning: A persistent or painful feeling of hunger.
In a Sentence: A gnawing hunger kept her awake all night.
Other Ways to Say: Hunger pangs, hollow feeling
36. Like a Bear Out of Hibernation
Meaning: Extremely hungry after a long time without food.
In a Sentence: He came to the table like a bear out of hibernation.
Other Ways to Say: Famished, eating fiercely
37. Eat Like a Growing Boy
Meaning: To have a huge appetite.
In a Sentence: My daughter eats like a growing boy these days.
Other Ways to Say: Eats a lot, large appetite
38. Hungry as a Lion
Meaning: Extremely hungry.
In a Sentence: She was hungry as a lion after practice.
Other Ways to Say: Starving, ravenous
39. Stomach Growling
Meaning: The sound your stomach makes when you’re hungry.
In a Sentence: His stomach was growling loudly in the quiet room.
Other Ways to Say: Empty stomach, hunger sounds
40. Running on Empty
Meaning: Having no energy or fuel, often due to lack of food.
In a Sentence: I’ve been running on empty since lunch.
Other Ways to Say: Drained, no energy
41. Could Eat a Cow
Meaning: Feeling extremely hungry.
In a Sentence: I skipped breakfast—I could eat a cow right now.
Other Ways to Say: Famished, starving
42. Lick the Plate Clean
Meaning: To eat everything on the plate.
In a Sentence: The food was so good I licked the plate clean.
Other Ways to Say: Ate it all, no leftovers
43. Craving Like Crazy
Meaning: Wanting to eat something very badly.
In a Sentence: I’m craving chocolate like crazy today.
Other Ways to Say: Dying for, desperate to eat
44. Appetite Like a Horse
Meaning: Having a huge appetite.
In a Sentence: After swimming, he had an appetite like a horse.
Other Ways to Say: Hearty eater, very hungry
45. Munchies Attack
Meaning: A sudden strong urge to snack or eat.
In a Sentence: I got a munchies attack during the movie.
Other Ways to Say: Snack craving, sudden hunger
46. Stomach’s a Black Hole
Meaning: Never gets full; eats a lot.
In a Sentence: My teen’s stomach is a black hole these days.
Other Ways to Say: Always hungry, big appetite
47. Eyes Bigger Than Stomach
Meaning: Taking more food than one can eat.
In a Sentence: His eyes were bigger than his stomach at the buffet.
Other Ways to Say: Overordered, too much food
48. Peckish
Meaning: Slightly hungry.
In a Sentence: I’m feeling a bit peckish—do we have snacks?
Other Ways to Say: Light hunger, snacky
49. Eating One’s Weight in Food
Meaning: Eating a very large amount of food.
In a Sentence: He nearly ate his weight in pizza.
Other Ways to Say: Overindulged, huge meal
50. Could Eat the Wallpaper Off the Wall
Meaning: Very, very hungry.
In a Sentence: I’m so hungry I could eat the wallpaper off the wall.
Other Ways to Say: Starving, desperate to eat
