Today, let’s explore a feast of idioms centered around the theme of hunger. From “Eating like a horse” to “Eating one’s own dog food,” these expressions add a flavorful twist to our understanding of being hungry, full of amusing anecdotes and relatable scenarios.
Idioms for Hungry
“Eating like a Horse” – To Eat a Lot or Very Quickly
Meaning: When someone is said to be “eating like a horse,” it means they are consuming a substantial amount of food or doing so with remarkable speed.
In a Sentence: After the marathon, Sarah was eating like a horse, devouring a giant burger and fries without pausing for breath.
“Hungry as a Bear” – To Be Extremely Hungry
Meaning: Comparing hunger to that of a bear implies an intense and overwhelming hunger.
In a Sentence: Having missed lunch, Tom was hungry as a bear, searching the fridge for anything edible.
“Starving” – To Be Extremely Hungry
Meaning: “Starving” is a straightforward term indicating extreme hunger, often used in casual conversations.
In a Sentence: I forgot to pack lunch, and by midday, I was absolutely starving.
“Peckish” – Slightly Hungry
Meaning: When someone is feeling “peckish,” it means they are experiencing a mild or slight hunger.
In a Sentence: Before dinner, I’m just a little peckish, so I’ll grab a small snack.
“Famished” – Extremely Hungry
Meaning: To be “famished” is to experience a level of hunger beyond the ordinary, signaling a desperate need for food.
In a Sentence: After the hike, we were famished and devoured the picnic spread in record time.
“Ravenous” – Extremely Hungry
Meaning: Similar to “famished,” being “ravenous” denotes an intense and insatiable hunger.
In a Sentence: The aroma from the bakery made me feel absolutely ravenous, so I bought a baguette on the spot.
“Rumble in the Stomach” – To Have a Stomach Growling from Hunger
Meaning: When there’s a “rumble in the stomach,” it refers to the audible noises produced by hunger.
In a Sentence: During the meeting, my stomach had a noticeable rumble, embarrassing me in front of my colleagues.
“Eating like a Bird” – To Eat Very Little
Meaning: Describing someone as “eating like a bird” suggests they have a small appetite and consume minimal amounts of food.
In a Sentence: While others indulged in the buffet, Jane was eating like a bird, sticking to a salad.
“Eating on the Run” – To Eat Quickly and Without Much Attention to the Food
Meaning: “Eating on the run” implies consuming food hastily, often due to a lack of time or urgency.
In a Sentence: With a busy schedule, Jack often resorts to eating on the run, grabbing snacks between meetings.
“Eating out of One’s Hand” – To Trust or Be Easily Controlled by Someone
Meaning: When someone is “eating out of one’s hand,” it means they trust or are easily influenced by another person.
In a Sentence: His charismatic personality had everyone eating out of his hand, believing every word he said.
“Eating Someone Alive” – To Criticize Someone Severely
Meaning: To “eat someone alive” is to criticize or attack them fiercely, often in a confrontational manner.
In a Sentence: During the debate, the opponent tried to eat her alive with relentless critiques.
“Eating One’s Words” – To Retract a Statement or Apologize for Something Said
Meaning: “**Eating one’s words” involves admitting that a statement was incorrect or apologizing for something previously said.
In a Sentence: After the results were announced, he had to eat his words about the team’s chances of winning.
“Eating Dirt” – To Suffer Humiliation or Defeat
Meaning: To “eat dirt” is to endure humiliation or experience a significant defeat.
In a Sentence: Despite his boasting, the overconfident athlete had to eat dirt when he lost the race.
“Eating Humble Pie” – To Apologize and Admit Being Wrong
Meaning: “Eating humble pie” involves apologizing and acknowledging one’s mistakes or errors.
In a Sentence: Realizing his error, the politician had to eat humble pie and issue a public apology.
“Eating Crow” – To Admit Being Wrong and Apologize for It, After a Boastful or Arrogant Statement
Meaning: Similar to “eating humble pie,” “eating crow” involves apologizing for boastful or arrogant statements after being proven wrong.
In a Sentence: After the project’s failure, the manager had to eat crow and apologize for his overly confident predictions.
“Eating Like There’s No Tomorrow” – To Eat a Lot Without Any Restraint
Meaning: “Eating like there’s no tomorrow” suggests indulging in a large quantity of food without any self-restraint.
In a Sentence: At the all-you-can-eat buffet, she was eating like there’s no tomorrow, savoring every dish.
“Eating Away At” – To Gradually Damage or Consume Something
Meaning: When something is “eating away at” a person or object, it signifies a gradual process of damage or consumption.
In a Sentence: The guilt of the mistake was eating away at her, affecting her overall well-being.
“Eating Out of the Palm of (Someone’s) Hand” – To Be Easily Controlled or Manipulated by Someone
Meaning: Being “eaten out of the palm of someone’s hand” indicates being easily controlled or manipulated by another person.
In a Sentence: The charming con artist had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand, unaware of his true intentions.
“Eating Away at (One’s) Nerves” – To Cause Someone to Feel Anxious or Stressed
Meaning: When a situation or person is “eating away at one’s nerves,” it means causing stress or anxiety.
In a Sentence: The impending deadline was eating away at her nerves, making it difficult to focus.
“Eating (Someone) Alive” – To Criticize or Attack Someone Fiercely
Meaning: Repeating the theme, “eating (someone) alive” signifies harsh criticism or fierce attacks directed at an individual.
In a Sentence: The harsh reviews were eating the artist alive, challenging his confidence in his work.
“Eating Up (Something)” – To Consume or Take in Something Eagerly
Meaning: To “eat up something” is to eagerly consume or take in a particular thing.
In a Sentence: The audience was eating up the comedian’s jokes, erupting into laughter with each punchline.
“Eating (Someone’s) Dust” – To Be Left Behind or Outdone by Someone
Meaning: Being “eaten by someone’s dust” implies being left behind or outperformed by a more competitive individual.
In a Sentence: In the final lap, the slower racer found himself eating the dust of his faster competitors.
“Eating Fire” – To Be Extremely Angry
Meaning: When someone is “eating fire,” it means they are experiencing intense anger or fury.
In a Sentence: His face turned red, and it was evident he was eating fire after the heated argument.
“Eating Humble Pie” – To Apologize and Admit Being Wrong (Repeated for Emphasis)
Meaning: As a reminder, “eating humble pie” involves apologizing and acknowledging one’s mistakes or errors.
In a Sentence: Realizing his error, the politician had to eat humble pie and issue a public apology.
“Eating the Bitter Pill” – To Accept a Difficult or Unpleasant Situation
Meaning: “Eating the bitter pill” signifies accepting a challenging or unpleasant reality.
In a Sentence: After the breakup, she had to eat the bitter pill of loneliness and move on.
“Eating One’s Own Cooking” – To Suffer the Consequences of One’s Own Actions
Meaning: To “eat one’s own cooking” is to experience the repercussions of one’s choices or actions.
In a Sentence: Ignoring warnings, he had to eat his own cooking when his procrastination led to missed deadlines.
“Eating One’s Own Dog Food” – To Test or Use a Product That One’s Own Company Produces
Meaning: “Eating one’s own dog food” involves personally testing or using a product that one’s own company produces.
In a Sentence: To ensure quality, the software developer believed in eating their own dog food, using their product daily.
“Eating (Someone’s) Lunch” – To Outcompete or Outperform Someone
Meaning: “Eating someone’s lunch” signifies outcompeting or surpassing someone in a competitive situation.
In a Sentence: With innovative strategies, the new startup was eating the established companies’ lunch in the market.
“Eating (One’s) Heart Out” – To Feel Very Sad or Disappointed
Meaning: When someone is “eating their heart out,” they are experiencing deep sadness or disappointment.
In a Sentence: Unable to attend the concert, I spent the night eating my heart out while listening to the live stream.
“Eating (Someone’s) Words” – To Force Someone to Retract a Statement or Admit They Were Wrong
Meaning: To “eat someone’s words” is to compel someone to retract a statement or admit their mistake.
In a Sentence: The evidence was overwhelming, forcing the skeptical critic to eat his words about the movie’s quality.
Summary
| Idiom | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Eating like a Horse | To eat a lot or very quickly | After the marathon, Sarah was eating like a horse. |
| Hungry as a Bear | To be extremely hungry | Having missed lunch, Tom was hungry as a bear. |
| Starving | To be extremely hungry | I forgot to pack lunch, and by midday, I was starving. |
| Peckish | Slightly hungry | Before dinner, I’m just a little peckish. |
| Famished | Extremely hungry | After the hike, we were famished. |
| Ravenous | Extremely hungry | The aroma from the bakery made me feel ravenous. |
| Rumble in the Stomach | Stomach growling from hunger | During the meeting, my stomach had a noticeable rumble. |
| Eating like a Bird | To eat very little | While others indulged, Jane was eating like a bird. |
| Eating on the Run | To eat quickly without attention to the food | With a busy schedule, Jack often eats on the run. |
| Eating out of One’s Hand | To trust or be easily controlled by someone | His charisma had everyone eating out of his hand. |
| Eating Someone Alive | To criticize someone severely | During the debate, the opponent tried to eat her alive. |
| Eating One’s Words | To retract a statement or apologize for something | After the results, he had to eat his words. |
| Eating Dirt | To suffer humiliation or defeat | The overconfident athlete had to eat dirt after losing. |
| Eating Humble Pie | To apologize and admit being wrong | Realizing his error, the politician ate humble pie. |
| Eating Crow | To admit being wrong and apologize arrogantly | The manager had to eat crow after the project’s failure. |
| Like There’s No Tomorrow | To eat a lot without restraint | At the buffet, she was eating like there’s no tomorrow. |
| Eating Away At | To gradually damage or consume something | The guilt was eating away at her after the mistake. |
| Out of the Palm of Someone’s Hand | To be easily controlled or manipulated | The con artist had everyone eating out of his hand. |
| Eating Away At Nerves | To cause anxiety or stress | The impending deadline was eating away at her nerves. |
| Eating Someone Alive | To criticize or attack fiercely | The harsh reviews were eating the artist alive. |
| Eating Up | To consume something eagerly | The audience was eating up the comedian’s jokes. |
| Eating Someone’s Dust | To be left behind or outdone by someone | In the final lap, the slower racer ate someone’s dust. |
| Eating Fire | To be extremely angry | After the argument, it was evident he was eating fire. |
| Eating Bitter Pill | To accept a difficult or unpleasant situation | She had to eat the bitter pill of loneliness. |
| Eating One’s Own Cooking | To suffer consequences of one’s own actions | Ignoring warnings, he had to eat his own cooking. |
| Eating Dog Food | To test or use a product one’s own company produces | The developer believed in eating their own dog food. |
| Eating Someone’s Lunch | To outcompete or outperform someone | The startup was eating the established companies’ lunch. |
| Eating Heart Out | To feel very sad or disappointed | Unable to attend, I spent the night eating my heart out. |
| Eating Someone’s Words | To force someone to retract a statement | The evidence made the critic eat his words. |
Conclusion
In the vast landscape of the English language, idioms bring a unique flavor to our expressions, enriching our communication with imaginative and often humorous twists. The idioms for hunger showcased here paint a lively picture of the various states of being hungry, from the comical “eating like a horse” to the humbling experience of “eating humble pie.”