27 Idioms for Hungry + Quiz

People often use idioms to describe their hunger in colorful ways. In this article, we’ll explore a list of idioms for “hungry.”

These idioms may not always mean literal hunger, but they add a touch of flavor to the English language. So, if you’re curious to learn more about these hunger-related idioms and how to use them, keep reading!

Hungry is like an empty well, craving to be filled with nourishment and sustenance, an undeniable signal that the body requires fuel to keep going. For more comparisons to describe hunger, you can check this link: Similes for hungry. And for a variety of metaphors related to hunger, you can explore this link: Metaphors for hungry.

What is an idiom for hungry?

Idioms for “hungry” are phrases that express a strong desire for food or a voracious appetite.

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Created by

Dr. Julia Rossi

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1 / 20

What is a simile?

A) A comparison using "like" or "as".

B) A direct comparison without using "like" or "as".

C) An exaggerated statement.

D) A figure of speech that gives human qualities to non-human things.

2 / 20

Identify the simile in the following sentence: “She swims like a fish.”

A) She swims

B) like a fish

C) swims like

D) a fish

3 / 20

What is a metaphor?

A) A comparison that uses "like" or "as".

B) A direct comparison that does not use "like" or "as".

C) An expression that means something other than the literal meanings of its words.

D) A word that sounds like its meaning.

4 / 20

Which of the following is a metaphor?

A) He is as brave as a lion.

B) Her tears were a river flowing down her cheeks.

C) She runs like the wind.

D) He barked orders at his team.

5 / 20

What is an idiom?

A) A literal expression.

B) A comparison using "like" or "as".

C) A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words.

D) A direct comparison without using "like" or "as".

6 / 20

What does the idiom “break the ice” mean?

A) To literally break ice.

B) To start a conversation in a social setting.

C) To cool down a situation.

D) To freeze something quickly.

7 / 20

What is an adjective?

A) A word that describes or modifies a noun.

B) A word that shows action.

C) A word that replaces a noun.

D) A word that connects words together.

8 / 20

Choose the adjective in the following sentence: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”

A) quick, brown

B) jumps

C) over

D) dog

9 / 20

What is an abbreviation?

A) A shortened form of a word or phrase.

B) A long form of a word.

C) A word used to describe another word.

D) A word used in place of a noun.

10 / 20

What does the abbreviation “e.g.” stand for?

A) End game

B) Exempli gratia (for example)

C) Ergo (therefore)

Estimated guess

11 / 20

What is a verb?

A) A word that describes a noun.

B) A word that indicates action, occurrence, or existence.

C) A word that connects two parts of a sentence.

D) A word that modifies a verb.

12 / 20

Identify the verb in the following sentence: “The cat sleeps on the sofa.”

A) The

B) cat

C) sleeps

D) sofa

13 / 20

“Out of the frying pan into the fire” is an example of:

A) A simile.

B) A metaphor.

C) An idiom.

D) An adjective.

14 / 20

Which of the following is an adjective?

A) Quickly

B) Beautiful

C) Run

D) Under

15 / 20

The abbreviation “NASA” stands for:

A) National Aeronautics and Space Administration

B) North American Space Agency

C) National Association of Space Astronauts

D) None of the above

16 / 20

Choose the metaphor in the following sentence: “Time is a thief.”

A) Time

B) is

C) a thief

D) None of the above

17 / 20

What does the idiom “hit the books” mean?

A) To physically hit books.

B) To start studying.

C) To write a book.

D) To organize books on a shelf.

18 / 20

Which of the following sentences contains a simile?

A) He is a shining star.

B) She danced like there was no tomorrow.

C) Life is a rollercoaster.

D) They moved mountains to be together.

19 / 20

“LOL” is an abbreviation for:

A) Lots Of Love

B) Little Old Lady

C) Long Overdue Library-book

D) Laugh Out Loud

20 / 20

Identify the verb in this sentence: “They whispered secrets into the night.”

A) They

B) secrets

C) whispered

D) night

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These idioms often use animals or other comparisons to vividly convey the intensity of hunger. Let’s dive into the list and explore each idiom’s meaning and usage:

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
Hungry as a wolf	Extremely hungry or ravenous	After a long hike, I was as hungry as a wolf and couldn’t wait for dinner.
Hungry as a bear	Very hungry, often implying a big appetite	After the soccer game, the team was as hungry as bears and devoured the pizza.
Hungry as a horse	Having a huge appetite or feeling very hungry	Working in the garden all day made me as hungry as a horse.
Hungry as a shark	Extremely hungry and ready to eat a lot	After the marathon, I felt as hungry as a shark, devouring everything in sight.
Hungry as a lion	Having a fierce hunger or appetite	She skipped breakfast, so she was as hungry as a lion by lunchtime.
Hungry as a wolf at the door	Desperately hungry, as if facing a life-threatening situation	After a long day of hiking without food, we were as hungry as wolves at the door.
Hungry as a hawk	Having a sharp and intense hunger	The delicious aroma of freshly baked bread made me as hungry as a hawk.
Hungry as a vulture	Feeling extremely hungry and ready to feast	After the long flight, I was as hungry as a vulture and couldn’t wait to eat.
Hungry as a beggar	Very hungry, often implying a desperate need for food	After a day of hard work, I was as hungry as a beggar and just wanted a meal.
Hungry as a church mouse	Extremely hungry and silent about it, often due to politeness	She was as hungry as a church mouse but didn’t want to disturb the meeting.
Hungry as a goat	Having a diverse or indiscriminate appetite	He ate everything on his plate; he’s as hungry as a goat.
Hungry as a rat	Desperately hungry, often associated with scavenging for food	After the long hike, we were as hungry as rats, searching for any snacks we had left.
Hungry as a scavenger	Feeling hungry and willing to eat whatever is available	During the camping trip, we were as hungry as scavengers, munching on trail mix and granola bars.
Hungry as a street dog	Extremely hungry, often associated with a tough and challenging life	After the charity event, we were as hungry as street dogs before they offered food.
Hungry as a teenager	Having an insatiable appetite, similar to the growth spurt during teenage years	My nephew is growing so fast; he’s always as hungry as a teenager.
Hungry as a famished traveler	Feeling extremely hungry after a long journey	After the cross-country drive, we were as hungry as famished travelers.
Hungry as a bottomless pit	Having an endless appetite that can’t be satisfied	After the football game, he ate like a bottomless pit, finishing all the snacks.
Hungry as a ravenous beast	Extremely hungry and ready to consume a large quantity of food	The smell of the barbecue made him as hungry as a ravenous beast.
Hungry as a cannibal	Feeling extremely hungry, often in a humorous or exaggerated way	After a long day of work, I was as hungry as a cannibal, ready to eat everything in sight.
Hungry as a glutton	Having an excessive and voracious appetite	He’s as hungry as a glutton when it comes to his favorite pizza.
Hungry as a pack of wolves	Feeling extremely hungry and ready to devour food quickly	The kids came back from the playground as hungry as a pack of wolves.
Hungry as a wildcat	Having a fierce and intense hunger	After the long hike, I felt as hungry as a wildcat.
Hungry as a grizzly bear	Very hungry, often suggesting a big appetite	After the workout, I was as hungry as a grizzly bear and ate a hearty meal.
Hungry as a hyena	Extremely hungry and eager to eat	She skipped lunch and was as hungry as a hyena by dinnertime.
Hungry as a panther	Having a stealthy and intense hunger	The aroma of fresh pastries made him as hungry as a panther.
Hungry as a predator	Feeling intensely hungry, like a predatory animal on the hunt	After the long hike, we were as hungry as predators searching for our meal.
Hungry as a starved prisoner	Feeling extremely hungry and deprived of food	After the fasting, he was as hungry as a starved prisoner when it was time to break the fast.

Idioms for Hungry

1. Hungry as a wolf

Meaning: Extremely hungry or ravenous.

In a Sentence: After a long hike, I was as hungry as a wolf and couldn’t wait for dinner.

2. Hungry as a bear

Meaning: Very hungry, often implying a big appetite.

In a Sentence: After the soccer game, the team was as hungry as bears and devoured the pizza.

3. Hungry as a horse

Meaning: Having a huge appetite or feeling very hungry.

In a Sentence: Working in the garden all day made me as hungry as a horse.

4. Hungry as a shark

Meaning: Extremely hungry and ready to eat a lot.

In a Sentence: After the marathon, I felt as hungry as a shark, devouring everything in sight.

5. Hungry as a lion

Meaning: Having a fierce hunger or appetite.

In a Sentence: She skipped breakfast, so she was as hungry as a lion by lunchtime.

6. Hungry as a wolf at the door

Meaning: Desperately hungry, as if facing a life-threatening situation.

In a Sentence: After a long day of hiking without food, we were as hungry as wolves at the door.

7. Hungry as a hawk

Meaning: Having a sharp and intense hunger.

In a Sentence: The delicious aroma of freshly baked bread made me as hungry as a hawk.

8. Hungry as a vulture

Meaning: Feeling extremely hungry and ready to feast.

In a Sentence: After the long flight, I was as hungry as a vulture and couldn’t wait to eat.

9. Hungry as a beggar

Meaning: Very hungry, often implying a desperate need for food.

In a Sentence: After a day of hard work, I was as hungry as a beggar and just wanted a meal.

10. Hungry as a church mouse

Meaning: Extremely hungry and silent about it, often due to politeness.

In a Sentence: She was as hungry as a church mouse but didn’t want to disturb the meeting.

11. Hungry as a goat

Meaning: Having a diverse or indiscriminate appetite.

In a Sentence: He ate everything on his plate; he’s as hungry as a goat.

12. Hungry as a rat

Meaning: Desperately hungry, often associated with scavenging for food.

In a Sentence: After the long hike, we were as hungry as rats, searching for any snacks we had left.

13. Hungry as a scavenger

Meaning: Feeling hungry and willing to eat whatever is available.

In a Sentence: During the camping trip, we were as hungry as scavengers, munching on trail mix and granola bars.

14. Hungry as a street dog

Meaning: Extremely hungry, often associated with a tough and challenging life.

In a Sentence: After the charity event, we were as hungry as street dogs before they offered food.

15. Hungry as a teenager

Meaning: Having an insatiable appetite, similar to the growth spurt during teenage years.

In a Sentence: My nephew is growing so fast; he’s always as hungry as a teenager.

16. Hungry as a famished traveler

Meaning: Feeling extremely hungry after a long journey.

In a Sentence: After the cross-country drive, we were as hungry as famished travelers.

17. Hungry as a bottomless pit

Meaning: Having an endless appetite that can’t be satisfied.

In a Sentence: After the football game, he ate like a bottomless pit, finishing all the snacks.

18. Hungry as a ravenous beast

Meaning: Extremely hungry and ready to consume a large quantity of food.

In a Sentence: The smell of the barbecue made him as hungry as a ravenous beast.

19. Hungry as a cannibal

Meaning: Feeling extremely hungry, often in a humorous or exaggerated way.

In a Sentence: After a long day of work, I was as hungry as a cannibal, ready to eat everything in sight.

20. Hungry as a glutton

Meaning: Having an excessive and voracious appetite.

In a Sentence: He’s as hungry as a glutton when it comes to his favorite pizza.

21. Hungry as a pack of wolves

Meaning: Feeling extremely hungry and ready to devour food quickly.

In a Sentence: The kids came back from the playground as hungry as a pack of wolves.

22. Hungry as a wildcat

Meaning: Having a fierce and intense hunger.

In a Sentence: After the long hike, I felt as hungry as a wildcat.

23. Hungry as a grizzly bear

Meaning: Very hungry, often suggesting a big appetite.

In a Sentence: After the workout, I was as hungry as a grizzly bear and ate a hearty meal.

24. Hungry as a hyena

Meaning: Extremely hungry and eager to eat.

In a Sentence: She skipped lunch and was as hungry as a hyena by dinnertime.

25. Hungry as a panther

Meaning: Having a stealthy and intense hunger.

In a Sentence: The aroma of fresh pastries made him as hungry as a panther.

26. Hungry as a predator

Meaning: Feeling intensely hungry, like a predatory animal on the hunt.

In a Sentence: After the long hike, we were as hungry as predators searching for our meal.

27. Hungry as a starved prisoner

Meaning: Feeling extremely hungry and deprived of food.

In a Sentence: After the fasting, he was as hungry as a starved prisoner when it was time to break the fast.

Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article

Here are ten quiz questions about the idioms for “hungry” from the article:

Quiz 1:

What does the idiom “Hungry as a wolf” mean?
a) Satisfied appetite
b) Extremely hungry or ravenous
c) Indifferent to food

Quiz 2:

When would you use the idiom “Hungry as a church mouse”?
a) When you’re silently hungry due to politeness
b) When you’re sharing a big meal with friends
c) When you’re not hungry at all

Quiz 3:

What is the meaning of the idiom “Hungry as a vulture”?
a) Feeling extremely sleepy
b) Feeling extremely hungry and ready to feast
c) Feeling extremely bored

Quiz 4:

If someone is “Hungry as a bear,” what does it imply?
a) They have no appetite
b) They are very hungry, often implying a big appetite
c) They are full and satisfied

Quiz 5:

When might you feel “Hungry as a scavenger”?
a) After a big meal
b) After a long journey
c) When you’re feeling extremely hungry and willing to eat whatever is available

Quiz 6:

What does the idiom “Hungry as a panther” convey?
a) Having a stealthy and intense hunger
b) Having no appetite at all
c) Feeling slightly hungry

Quiz 7:

What is the meaning of “Hungry as a teenager”?
a) Having an insatiable appetite, similar to the growth spurt during teenage years
b) Having no appetite
c) Feeling moderately hungry

Quiz 8:

When would someone be “Hungry as a pack of wolves”?
a) After a big meal
b) When they’re feeling extremely hungry and ready to devour food quickly
c) When they’re not hungry at all

Quiz 9:

What does the idiom “Hungry as a grizzly bear” suggest?
a) Having a fierce and intense hunger
b) Having no appetite
c) Feeling slightly hungry

Quiz 10:

When might you use the idiom “Hungry as a ravenous beast”?
a) When you have no appetite
b) When you’re not particularly hungry
c) When you’re feeling extremely hungry and ready to consume a large quantity of food

Answers:

Conclusion

These idioms for “hungry” add depth and vividness to our language. They help us express our appetite and cravings in creative ways, whether we’re talking about a hearty meal or just a small snack.

Summary