Sometimes we say we are “so hungry we could eat a horse,” but we don’t mean it for real. This is an example of an idiom. Idioms are fun phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say. People use them to make their speech more colorful or interesting. There are many idioms in English that help us talk about hunger in different ways.
In this lesson, we will learn some common idioms for hunger. Each one will come with a short meaning and a sentence to show how it’s used. You will also get to answer a few questions to check your understanding. These idioms are often used in movies, books, or everyday talk, so knowing them can help you understand others better and speak more clearly too.
Idioms for Hunger
1. Hungry as a bear
Meaning: Very hungry
Sample Sentences: After soccer, I was hungry as a bear. / He came home hungry as a bear.
Other Way to Say: Starving / Really hungry
2. Have the munchies
Meaning: Wanting to snack
Sample Sentences: I always have the munchies after school. / She had the munchies while watching TV.
Other Way to Say: Want a snack / Craving something
3. Stomach is growling
Meaning: Stomach making noise because you’re hungry
Sample Sentences: My stomach is growling in class. / His stomach was growling before dinner.
Other Way to Say: Belly’s making noise / Starving sounds
4. Eat like a horse
Meaning: Eat a lot
Sample Sentences: My brother eats like a horse at dinner. / I ate like a horse after the game.
Other Way to Say: Big eater / Ate a bunch
5. Could eat a horse
Meaning: Very hungry
Sample Sentences: I’m so hungry I could eat a horse! / She said she could eat a horse after gym.
Other Way to Say: Super hungry / Could eat anything
6. Have a hollow leg
Meaning: Always hungry, never full
Sample Sentences: He must have a hollow leg, he ate three burgers! / She keeps eating like she has a hollow leg.
Other Way to Say: Eats a lot / Never full
7. Bite to eat
Meaning: A small meal or snack
Sample Sentences: Let’s get a bite to eat after the movie. / I grabbed a bite to eat at lunch.
Other Way to Say: Quick snack / Small meal
8. Grab some grub
Meaning: Get some food
Sample Sentences: Let’s grab some grub after practice. / He grabbed some grub from the kitchen.
Other Way to Say: Get food / Go eat
9. Wolf down
Meaning: Eat very fast
Sample Sentences: He wolfed down his lunch in five minutes. / I wolfed down my sandwich because I was late.
Other Way to Say: Eat quickly / Gobble up
10. Stuff your face
Meaning: Eat a lot in a messy or fast way
Sample Sentences: We stuffed our faces with pizza at the party. / She was stuffing her face with fries.
Other Way to Say: Eat a bunch / Munch a lot
11. Eat like it’s your last meal
Meaning: Eat a lot like you won’t eat again soon
Sample Sentences: He ate like it was his last meal ever! / I ate like it was my last meal after track.
Other Way to Say: Overeat / Devour food
12. Empty stomach
Meaning: No food in your belly
Sample Sentences: I can’t focus on an empty stomach. / He had an empty stomach all morning.
Other Way to Say: Very hungry / Need to eat
13. Can’t wait for lunch
Meaning: Eager to eat
Sample Sentences: I can’t wait for lunch today. / She kept saying she couldn’t wait for lunch.
Other Way to Say: So hungry / Looking forward to food
14. Eat someone out of house and home
Meaning: Eat all the food
Sample Sentences: My cousins eat us out of house and home when they visit. / He eats everything like he’ll eat us out of house and home.
Other Way to Say: Eats everything / Uses up the food
15. My belly is begging
Meaning: Feeling hungry
Sample Sentences: My belly is begging for some pizza! / Her belly was begging for snacks.
Other Way to Say: Stomach wants food / Super hungry
16. Eyes are bigger than your stomach
Meaning: Take more food than you can eat
Sample Sentences: I grabbed too much, my eyes were bigger than my stomach. / Her plate was full, but she didn’t finish.
Other Way to Say: Took too much / Can’t finish the food
17. Running on empty
Meaning: Very hungry and tired
Sample Sentences: I’m running on empty. I need food! / We were running on empty after practice.
Other Way to Say: No energy / Need food fast
18. Food on my mind
Meaning: Thinking about eating
Sample Sentences: I can’t focus, food’s on my mind. / He had food on his mind all day.
Other Way to Say: Craving food / Thinking of meals
19. Like a bottomless pit
Meaning: Never getting full
Sample Sentences: He eats so much, like a bottomless pit! / She snacks like a bottomless pit.
Other Way to Say: Always hungry / Never satisfied
20. Craving something sweet
Meaning: Wanting sweet food
Sample Sentences: I’m craving something sweet right now. / He was craving something sweet after dinner.
Other Way to Say: Want a treat / Sweet tooth
21. Starved for food
Meaning: Very, very hungry
Sample Sentences: I was starved for food after skipping breakfast. / She was starved for food at the sleepover.
Other Way to Say: Really hungry / Needed food badly
22. Craving junk food
Meaning: Wanting snacks or fast food
Sample Sentences: I’m craving junk food like chips. / He was craving junk food after school.
Other Way to Say: Want snacks / Need something fun to eat
23. Hungry enough to eat dirt
Meaning: So hungry you’d eat anything
Sample Sentences: I’m so hungry, I could eat dirt! / He was hungry enough to eat dirt after PE.
Other Way to Say: Super hungry / Could eat anything
24. Begging for a snack
Meaning: Really want something to eat
Sample Sentences: My stomach is begging for a snack. / I was begging for a snack during math class.
Other Way to Say: Need food / Want to eat
25. Need food like air
Meaning: Food is super important right now
Sample Sentences: I need food like I need air! / She said she needed food like air after gym.
Other Way to Say: Must eat now / Very hungry
26. Gnawing hunger
Meaning: A strong, lasting hunger
Sample Sentences: I had gnawing hunger all day. / His gnawing hunger made him grumpy.
Other Way to Say: Deep hunger / Stomach pain
27. My tummy is empty
Meaning: Stomach has no food
Sample Sentences: My tummy is empty, I need lunch. / She kept saying her tummy was empty.
Other Way to Say: Need to eat / Stomach is growling
28. Can hear my stomach
Meaning: Stomach is noisy from hunger
Sample Sentences: I could hear my stomach in class. / Her stomach was so loud!
Other Way to Say: Growling belly / Starving
29. Can’t think straight
Meaning: Too hungry to focus
Sample Sentences: I can’t think straight, I’m too hungry. / He couldn’t focus because he was so hungry.
Other Way to Say: Brain needs food / Too hungry to focus
30. Dying for a bite
Meaning: Really want to eat
Sample Sentences: I’m dying for a bite of pizza. / She’s dying for a bite of something sweet.
Other Way to Say: Want food badly / Really craving
31. Food is calling my name
Meaning: Really want food now
Sample Sentences: That pizza is calling my name! / Ice cream is calling my name tonight.
Other Way to Say: Food is tempting / Must eat now
32. Got the hunger bug
Meaning: Suddenly feeling very hungry
Sample Sentences: I got the hunger bug after recess. / He got the hunger bug during class.
Other Way to Say: Very hungry / Want food quick
33. Craving something salty
Meaning: Wanting chips or fries
Sample Sentences: I’m craving something salty like popcorn. / She wanted something salty after lunch.
Other Way to Say: Need a snack / Want chips or fries
34. Tummy talking
Meaning: Belly making hungry sounds
Sample Sentences: My tummy was talking all morning. / His tummy was talking during the test.
Other Way to Say: Belly growling / Hungry noises
35. Need to fuel up
Meaning: Need food for energy
Sample Sentences: I need to fuel up before baseball. / Let’s fuel up with lunch first.
Other Way to Say: Get energy / Eat a meal
36. Can’t wait to dig in
Meaning: Super ready to eat
Sample Sentences: I can’t wait to dig in to dinner. / She said she can’t wait to dig in.
Other Way to Say: Ready to eat / Excited to eat
37. Eating machine
Meaning: A person who eats a lot
Sample Sentences: He’s an eating machine at lunch. / She turns into an eating machine at home.
Other Way to Say: Eats a bunch / Always hungry
38. Chow down
Meaning: Eat with joy
Sample Sentences: Let’s chow down on burgers! / He chowed down on nachos.
Other Way to Say: Dig in / Eat happily
39. It’s chow time
Meaning: Time to eat
Sample Sentences: It’s chow time, let’s eat! / Dad said, “Chow time!”
Other Way to Say: Meal time / Time for food
40. Gobble it up
Meaning: Eat quickly
Sample Sentences: I gobbled up my sandwich. / She gobbled it up in seconds.
Other Way to Say: Ate fast / Devoured it
41. Can’t stop snacking
Meaning: Keep eating small things
Sample Sentences: I can’t stop snacking on chips. / He can’t stop snacking during the movie.
Other Way to Say: Keep munching / Always nibbling
42. Sweet tooth
Meaning: Always wanting sugary food
Sample Sentences: I’ve got a sweet tooth for chocolate. / Her sweet tooth makes her love candy.
Other Way to Say: Love sweets / Crave sugar
43. Feel like a snack
Meaning: Want to eat something now
Sample Sentences: I feel like a snack before bed. / He felt like a snack after homework.
Other Way to Say: Need a treat / Want food
44. Can’t get full
Meaning: Keep eating, never satisfied
Sample Sentences: I can’t get full today! / He ate a lot but still can’t get full.
Other Way to Say: Still hungry / Bottomless
45. Dinner is calling
Meaning: Time to eat dinner
Sample Sentences: Dinner is calling, I’m starving! / She ran to the table because dinner was calling.
Other Way to Say: Dinner time / Let’s eat
46. Devour your food
Meaning: Eat all quickly
Sample Sentences: I devoured my lunch. / She devoured her cookies.
Other Way to Say: Gobble / Eat everything fast
47. Nibble on something
Meaning: Eat small bites
Sample Sentences: I nibbled on crackers. / He nibbled on toast.
Other Way to Say: Snack lightly / Take small bites
48. Begging for dinner
Meaning: Want food badly
Sample Sentences: I’m begging for dinner, so hungry! / She was begging for dinner at 5.
Other Way to Say: Craving food / Really hungry
49. Can’t hold out much longer
Meaning: Can’t wait to eat
Sample Sentences: I can’t hold out much longer, I need food! / He said he couldn’t wait anymore.
Other Way to Say: So hungry / Need food fast
50. Stuff myself
Meaning: Eat until full
Sample Sentences: I stuffed myself with tacos. / She stuffed herself at the buffet.
Other Way to Say: Ate too much / Filled up
51. Feeling hangry
Meaning: Hungry and grumpy
Sample Sentences: I was feeling hangry before lunch. / He was hangry after the long day.
Other Way to Say: Hungry and mad / Grumpy from no food
52. Snack attack
Meaning: Sudden craving for snacks
Sample Sentences: I had a snack attack after school. / She gets snack attacks all the time.
Other Way to Say: Urge to snack / Need a treat
53. Growling like a lion
Meaning: Belly is very loud
Sample Sentences: My belly is growling like a lion! / He was growling like a lion before lunch.
Other Way to Say: Super hungry / Loud tummy
54. Can’t survive without food
Meaning: Feel like you really need to eat
Sample Sentences: I can’t survive without food right now! / She said she couldn’t make it another hour.
Other Way to Say: Need food badly / Hungry now
55. Food is all I can think about
Meaning: Can’t stop thinking of eating
Sample Sentences: Food is all I can think about today. / He had food on his mind all day long.
Other Way to Say: Thinking of meals / Want to eat
Multiple Choice Questions: Idioms for Hunger
1. What does “hungry as a horse” mean?
A. You’re tired after riding a horse
B. You’re very hungry
C. You want to ride a horse
2. What does it mean when your “stomach is growling”?
A. You’re angry at someone
B. Your stomach hurts from running
C. Your body is making noise because you’re hungry
3. If someone says “I could eat a horse,” what do they mean?
A. They like horses
B. They are full
C. They are really hungry
4. What does “eat like a bird” mean?
A. Eat just a little
B. Eat really fast
C. Eat loud and messy
5. What does “eyes are bigger than your stomach” mean?
A. You can see more than other people
B. You take more food than you can eat
C. You eat with your eyes closed
6. If someone is “running on empty,” what are they feeling?
A. Full and sleepy
B. Tired and hungry
C. Ready to play sports
7. What does “grab a bite” mean?
A. Take a bite out of something
B. Eat something quickly
C. Bite your friend
8. What does it mean to “stuff your face”?
A. Eat a little snack
B. Eat very slowly
C. Eat a lot very fast
9. If someone has the “munchies,” what do they want?
A. A nap
B. A snack
C. A walk
10. What does “eat someone out of house and home” mean?
A. Eat so much that it feels like the food is gone
B. Eat outside the house
C. Eat quietly in your room
11. If your mom says “clean your plate,” what should you do?
A. Wash the dishes
B. Eat all your food
C. Take your plate to the table
12. What does “food coma” mean?
A. Falling asleep because you’re too full
B. Getting sick from food
C. Wanting more dessert
Answer Key
- B. You’re very hungry
- C. Your body is making noise because you’re hungry
- C. They are really hungry
- A. Eat just a little
- B. You take more food than you can eat
- B. Tired and hungry
- B. Eat something quickly
- C. Eat a lot very fast
- B. A snack
- A. Eat so much that it feels like the food is gone
- B. Eat all your food
- A. Falling asleep because you’re too full
Scoring Guide
- 12 Correct Answers: Love Idiom Master!
You really know your hunger idioms. Great work! - 8–11 Correct Answers: Well on your way to understanding love idioms.
You’re doing great, just a few more to learn! - 4–7 Correct Answers: Room for improvement, but you’re getting there!
You’ve got a good start. Keep practicing and you’ll improve quickly. - 0–3 Correct Answers: Let’s explore the world of love idioms together.
That’s okay! Learning takes time. Try reading through the idioms again.
Conclusion
Learning idioms for hunger helps us talk in more interesting ways. Instead of just saying “I’m hungry,” we can use phrases like “my stomach is growling” or “I could eat a horse.” These expressions make our speech more fun and clear.
Now that you’ve seen many hunger idioms and practiced using them, try to listen for them in conversations or shows. Over time, they will feel more natural to use. Keep learning and trying out new ones when you speak or write.
