Sunday Word: Esurient

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esurient [ih-soor-ee-uhnt ]

adjective:
hungry, greedy

Examples:

Scrolling through the Indian sweets on the confectionery's feed was a journey my taste buds weren't prepared for - each post made me more and more esurient until I found myself rummaging desperately through my refrigerator at 2 a.m. in a bid to satiate my sweet tooth. (Sadaf Shaikh, An Indian sweets brand is reviving the old-world charm of traditional mithais, Vogue, May 2022)

The two men duly return the next night (although by this time the almost helplessly esurient Laffler has become resentful of his guest: 'There'll be less for me!'), and the long-awaited meal is finally served. (Graham McCann, The many meals of Robert Morley, British Comedy Guide, June 202-)

I'm talking, of course, about Monty Python's notorious Cheese Shop Sketch, in which Cleese, feeling "peckish, esurient...Eee, I were all 'ungry, like," walks into a store run by Michael Palin to "negotiate the vending of some fermented curd". (Nathan Bevan, bevan on the box; nathan bevan casts a critical eye over the week's tv, Liverpool Echo, February 2018)

What has Oscar in common with Art? except that he dines at our tables and picks from our platter the plums for the puddings he peddles in the provinces. Oscar - the amiable, irresponsible, esurient Oscar - with no more sense of a picture than of the fit of a coat, has the courage of the opinions - of others! (James McNeill Whistler, The Gentle Art of Making Enemies )

Origin:

1670s, from Latin esurientem (nominative esuriens), present participle of esurire 'be hungry, hunger, desire to eat,' from stem of edere 'to eat' (from PIE root ed- 'to eat'). (Online Etymology Dictionaty)

If you're hungry for a new way to express your hunger, you might find that esurient fits your palate. Be forewarned, however, that when used literally esurient has a humorous flavor. This somewhat obscure word first appeared in English in the second half of the 17th century, deriving from the present participle of the Latin verb esurire, meaning 'to be hungry.' It is also related to edere, the Latin verb for 'eat,' which has given us such scrumptious fare as edible and its synonyms esculent and comestible. Esurient can be used somewhat playfully to suggest an actual hunger for food, but it is more often applied to such things as wealth or power. In the latter contexts, it takes on the connotation of 'greedy.' (Merriam Webster)