British Slang For Hungry (12 Examples!)

Eating is something every one of us talks about or at least thinks about every day.

Of course, we all do it every day, so what I mean is that it’s something that constantly occupies our minds.

With this said, it’s not very surprising that there is such a wide range of slang terms in British English to describe the sense of being hungry.

Today, we’re going to look at some of the most common of these slang phrases.

So, let’s get started.

In This Article

Peckish

Starting off we have peckish.

This one means that you are not all that hungry, just that you’re starting to get ready to eat.

It means you could take a bit, perhaps wait another hour for dinner.

In any case, peckish does mean you’re hungry and is used across Britain.

“What time is lunch? I’m getting a bit peckish,” for example.

This one originated in the 18^th Century, with our first use coming from 1785.

It is a reference to the way birds peck at food and never seem to eat a great deal.

Famished

On the other end of the spectrum from peckish we have famished.

This means that someone is extremely hungry, ready for a whole meal and that they are basically starving.

To be famished is about as hungry as you can be. “Let’s order some food, I’m famished,” for example.

Originally, the term “famish” meant “cause to hunger” in the 14^th Century, which came from the Old French afamer and ultimately from Latin.

Starving

Of course, this one is a pretty universal slang term for hungry used just about anywhere in the English speaking world.

Of course, the word itself is simply a standard English term used to describe someone who is literally drying from not having had enough food.

In slang, it just means that you are very hungry. “I’m going to make a sandwich, I’m starving,” for example.

The word starve originally comes from the Old English steorfan, which meant to die.

So, originally, the sense was about death, and the meaning narrowed over time until around the 1570s, when it meant to die of hunger.

It entered the slang shortly after.

Wasting away

Next we have “wasting away”, which is certainly a more recent slang term for hungry.

To be wasting away means you are so hungry that you feel yourself fading away—of course, again, it is meant jokingly as is not literally used for someone who is dying of starvation. “I hope our food arrives soon, I’m wasting away here,” for example.

Hank Marvin

Next we have “Hank Marvin”, and if you’re at all familiar with regional British slang, you may have guessed that this one is a piece of Cockney rhyming slang.

“Hank Marvin” is rhyming slang with “starving” or “starvin’”. “I’m Hank Marvin here, could you get me some food?” for example.

We don’t really know when this one started being used, although it does not seem to be that old—perhaps as early as the end of the 20^th Century.

Could eat a horse

Next we have “I could eat a horse” which, again, is probably pretty widely understood by the entire English speaking world.

Someone who is very hungry might suggest they could eat a horse because they are so starved of food.

Again, it’s meant as an exaggeration, to suggest you are so hungry you could eat a whole horse.

Again, we don’t know when this one came into use.

However, we can see that it has been in use since the 19^th Century, so it may have been a reference to the way people would eat their riding horses in times of extreme food poverty.

Ravenous

Ravenous is yet another British slang term for hungry, and again has the sense of exaggerating to the highest extent possible for emphasis.

To be ravenous is to be so hungry that you could “ravage” something. “I’m so excited for the buffet, I’m ravenous!” for example.

It is a very old term, which traces its origins back to the Old French raviner.

This meant to ravage, and eventually changed to “very hungry” or voracious hungry in Middle English.

Rumble in the tummy

This next one, while virtually any British person will know what you mean, tends to be more reserved for children.

Obviously, when you’re very hungry, your stomach starts to rumble and growl, and this is simply a reference to that.

“Can we eat soon? I’ve got a rumble in the tummy,” for example.

Wolfish

Next we have “wolfish”. This is not as widely used and is perhaps becoming more of an archaism, but nonetheless is still widely used and understood in British slang.

It means you’re so hungry that you’re acting like a wolf, hovering and ready to pounce on any food.

“I’m getting wolfish, is dinner almost ready?” for example.

The term itself comes from the 16^th Century as early as we can tell, though it didn’t always mean hungry.

That meaning came sometime later, though when we don’t know for sure.

Hangry

Next we have what is definitely a more recent slang term but which is now widely used in Britain among the younger generations, at least.

To be hangry means to be so hungry that you are getting angry. “Bring me my food before I get hangry!” for example.

Naturally, the term is just a conjoining of “hungry” and “angry”, and appears to have entered British slang sometime in only the last 15 years or so.

Fungry

Following on from that, next we have “fungry”.

The sense here is very similar to “hangry”, except it takes a bit more colorful language to reach the destination.

To be fungry means you are “Fu***** hungry”. “I’m so fungry I’m starting to get grumpy,” for instance.

Empty

Finally, we have “empty”.

Obviously, this in itself is just a standard term that means something that has nothing in it.

It has taken on its own slang meaning now, and is used to describe being so hungry that you feel as though there’s nothing in you.

“I’m empty, let’s stop and get some food,” for example.

We don’t know precisely when this term came to take on this meaning, although it is more recent than some other terms on this list.

So, if you’re looking for a way to describe how hungry you are in British slang, look no further than this list!

It contains the entire range of terms you might need to describe how hungry you are, from the slightest pangs to the most starved and painful kind of hunger.

More in British Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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