Dying for a bite
Meaning
To be extremely hungry or to have an intense craving for food.
Origin
This phrase combines the common hyperbolic expression "dying for"—meaning to desire something intensely—with "a bite," a colloquialism for a small amount of food or a meal. The exaggeration of "dying" heightens the sense of hunger, turning a simple need into a desperate craving. It’s like being "dying for a drink" or "dying to know" something. The expression leverages a dramatic, almost theatrical urgency to convey a basic human need, evolving from general expressions of extreme desire into a specific, vivid image of profound hunger.
Examples
- After hiking all morning, I was dying for a bite and nearly ran into the first restaurant we saw.
- The kids get home from school absolutely dying for a bite, so I always have snacks ready for them.