Definition

Verb: - To famish; to starve: The act of causing someone to suffer from extreme hunger by deliberately not providing them with food. - To deprive someone of food: The intentional action of withholding food from a person or animal.

Usage

This verb is transitive and requires a direct object (the person or being being starved). It describes a deliberate, often cruel, action. - Kẻ bắt cóc bỏ đói con tin. (The kidnapper starved the hostage.) - Đừng bao giờ bỏ đói thú cưng của bạn. (Never deprive your pet of food.)

Examples

• (That policy of the colonial government famished millions of people.)
• (The parents starved the child as a punishment.)

Advanced Usage

• Used in passive voice: To describe the state of being starved.
  • Những tù nhân chiến tranh bị bỏ đói trong nhiều ngày. (The prisoners of war were starved for many days.)
• Figurative use: While the core meaning is literal, it can be used metaphorically in some contexts to mean "to deprive of something essential," though this is less common.
  • Bỏ đói trí tuệ của trẻ em là một tội ác. (To starve children's intellect is a crime.)

Variants and Related Words

• Đói (adj): Hungry.
• Chết đói (verb phrase): To die of starvation.
• Đói khát (adj): Hungry and thirsty; destitute.

Synonyms

• Bắt nhịn đói: To force to go hungry.
• Để cho đói: To let go hungry.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Bỏ đói bỏ khát: To deprive someone of both food and water; to treat with extreme neglect regarding basic needs.
  • Họ bỏ đói bỏ khát tù nhân. (They deprived the prisoners of food and water.)

verb

1. to famish
   • bỏ đói ai
     to deprive someone of food