1.starve的基本意思是“挨饿”,指人或动物由于食物少而忍饥挨饿,甚至有可能饿死。用于比喻,还可表示“极端”“渴望”。在古英语里starve还可表示“使挨冻”。
2.starve可用作不及物动词,也可用作及物动词。用作不及物动词时,表示“感觉饿”; 用作及物动词时,表示“使…饥饿”,接名词或代词作宾语。

starve for(v.+prep.)
急需,渴望 long for
▲starve for sth
Here inland I am starving for a sight of the sea.在内地这儿,我非常渴望看见大海。
The motherless children were starving for affection.这些没有母亲的孩子渴望亲情。
The lonely man starved for companionship.这个孤独的人渴望有人陪伴。
▲be starved for sth
The frontier station was starved for food and water.边防站急需食物和水。
The patient's brain was starved for oxygen.病人的大脑缺氧。
The engine was starved for petrol and wouldn't start.这部引擎缺乏汽油,开不动。

starve out(v.+adv.)
1.把…饿跑 starve into leaving a place
▲starve sb⇔out
They decided to starve the enemy out.他们决定把敌人饿跑。
2.因饥饿而减少 reduce by hunger
▲starve out
The refugees starved out.难民因饥饿而人数大减。

用作不及物动词
▲S+～(+A)
Because there is no food, the people are starving.由于没有食品,人们在挨饿。
If the animals can't find enough plants to eat, they'll starve or have to leave the place.如果动物找不到足够的植物来吃,他们将会挨饿或者不得已离开这片土地。
You would starve if you don't work.不工作你就要挨饿。
They got lost in the desert and starved to death.他们在沙漠中迷路而饿死。
I'll never be dependent on anyone again. I'd rather starve.我再也不依赖任何人了,我宁愿饿死。
My hands are starving while I write in bed.我在床上写字的时候,双手冻僵了。
用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
They staved the enemy into surrendering.他们以饥饿迫使敌人投降。
She's starving herself, trying to lose weight.她在饿肚子减肥。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
The workers of France were not the only ones who were being starved.法兰西的工人并不是唯一挨饿的工人。
I'm starved very much now because I have had nothing at all today.我现在饿极了,因为我今天什么也没吃。
You look starved.Go into the quilt quickly.你看来很冷,快钻到被窝里去。

starve for, ache for, die for, hunger for, long for, sigh for, thirst for
参见ache条。

starve可跟含介词短语的复合宾语,但不可跟含有动词不定式或形容词的复合宾语,因此也不可用形容词或动词不定式作主语补足语。例如:
他被饿死了。
误:He was starved dead.
误:He was starved to die.
正:He was starved to death.

［词源］＜中古英语sterven(死,饿死)