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inedia

starvation

noun ee-NEH-dyah Rare
Body & Health Health & Illness

Origin: From Latin inedia, fasting.

Also means

inertia

Usage Note

Inedia primarily means death or extreme weakness from lack of food — stronger and more literary than fame (hunger). It also has a figurative sense of listless inaction or apathy: morire d'inedia can mean both 'to die of starvation' and 'to die of boredom/inertia.' The figurative use is common in modern Italian.

Examples

"I rifugiati morivano di inedia nel campo."

Natural Translation

The refugees were dying of starvation in the camp.

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