ἐπείνασεν [9  verses](3rd sg aor ind act ) "Was an hungered" is peino, which means "to be hungry", "crave after," or "to be starved," and it is a metaphor for desire and cravings.--The word for "hunger" is the verb for "to hunger" as in needing food and, like the English word, it is a metaphor for any craving. However, unlike the English verb, this Greek verb is transitive like our "crave."