starve

Starve is a verb meaning to suffer or die from extreme lack of food. It can also mean to deprive someone or something of food or other essential provisions, or to fail to provide adequate nourishment. The related noun is starvation, the condition of extreme malnutrition due to sustained food deprivation. The term can be used literally or metaphorically, as in “the project starved for funds” or “the town was starved of essential services.”

Starvation results from a sustained energy deficit and is influenced by food availability, health status, and environmental factors. In humans, prolonged starvation leads to weakness, slowed growth in children, weakened immune response, organ damage, and eventual death if not addressed. Causes include famine from crop failure, war and blockade, economic collapse, drought, climate-related disasters, and severe neglect. Starvation often coexists with micronutrient deficiencies, dehydration, and secondary infections.

Historically, famines and blockades have caused widespread starvation in many regions, including wartime sieges, colonial famines, and modern humanitarian crises. Silent crises continue in parts of the world where poverty, conflict, or climate change limit access to food. In public health and humanitarian contexts, reducing starvation involves emergency food aid, nutrition programs for pregnant women and young children, clean water, medical care, and efforts to improve food security and resilience.

Notes: The word “starve” can carry strong emotional weight and may be used figuratively; in medical terminology “starvation” is a state characterized by a persistent energy deficit.