starveling: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low / Archaic-LiteraryLiterary, archaic, or deliberately old-fashioned. Rare in contemporary everyday speech. Used for vivid, often derogatory or pathetic description.
Quick answer
What does “starveling” mean?
A person (or sometimes an animal or plant) that is emaciated or weak from lack of food.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person (or sometimes an animal or plant) that is emaciated or weak from lack of food; an extremely thin or hungry creature.
By extension, it can refer to anything that is impoverished, undernourished, or pitifully lacking in resources, vitality, or quality. It often carries a connotation of pity or contempt.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The word is equally rare and literary in both varieties.
Connotations
Slightly more likely to be encountered in British historical or literary contexts, but the distinction is minimal.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. Its use is a stylistic choice to sound archaic or vividly descriptive.
Grammar
How to Use “starveling” in a Sentence
[Adj] starvelingstarveling of [N]a starveling [N]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “starveling” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The Victorian workhouse was filled with pitiful starvelings.
- He was a mere starveling of a poet, living on crumbs of praise.
- The gardener uprooted the starveling seedling.
American English
- The old prospector was a starveling when they found him.
- The shelter took in the starveling cat.
- That company is a corporate starveling, barely surviving.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used. Might appear metaphorically in colorful criticism: 'The starveling department received no budget.'
Academic
Rare, used in historical, literary, or sociological contexts discussing poverty, famine, or character description.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would sound deliberately archaic or theatrical.
Technical
Not used in technical fields.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “starveling”
- Using it as a synonym for 'someone who is fasting' or 'on a diet'. It implies involuntary, severe deprivation. Spelling: 'starve' + 'ling', not 'starvingling'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered archaic or literary. Its primary use is for stylistic effect in writing or speech to evoke a past era or create a vivid, often pitiful, image.
Its primary use is as a noun. While it can sometimes function attributively (e.g., 'a starveling artist'), it is not a standard adjective. 'Starved' or 'starving' are the standard adjectives.
'Starving' is the present participle/adjective meaning suffering from hunger. 'Starveling' is a noun labelling the person/thing that *is* starving, emphasizing their state as a defining characteristic, often with a diminutive or contemptuous nuance.
Yes, in modern usage it would generally be considered highly derogatory, insulting, and dehumanizing, as it reduces a person to the pitiable state of being underfed and weak.
A person (or sometimes an animal or plant) that is emaciated or weak from lack of food.
Starveling is usually literary, archaic, or deliberately old-fashioned. rare in contemporary everyday speech. used for vivid, often derogatory or pathetic description. in register.
Starveling: in British English it is pronounced /ˈstɑːv.lɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈstɑːrv.lɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No common idioms feature this word directly.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a STARving fledgLING—a baby bird starving in the nest, which is a classic image of a pitiful 'starveling'.
Conceptual Metaphor
LACK OF FOOD IS LACK OF LIFE/SUBSTANCE; A PERSON IS A PLANT/WITHERED THING.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the word 'starveling' be LEAST appropriate?