Quick Definition
πεινάω v. I am hungry, needy
Strong's Definition
from the same as 3993 (through the idea of pinching toil; "pine"); to famish (absolutely or comparatively); figuratively, to crave
KJV Usage: be an hungered
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | πρόσπεινος
23.29 · Physiological Processes and States · Eat, Drink
to be hungry, to have hunger to be in a state of hunger, without any implications of particular contributing circumstances Hunger is often spoken of in an idiomatic manner, for example, ‘my stomach is crying,’ ‘my throat has been cut’ (implying that one has not been able to swallow food for a long time), or ‘my stomach is a deep hole.’
MAT 4:2 · MAT 12:1 · MAT 12:3 · MAT 21:18 · MAT 25:35 · MAT 25:37 · MAT 25:42 · MAT 25:44 · MRK 2:25 · MRK 11:12 · LUK 1:53 · LUK 4:2 · LUK 6:3 · LUK 6:21 · LUK 6:25 · JHN 6:35 · ROM 12:20 · 1CO 4:11 · 1CO 11:21 · 1CO 11:34 · PHP 4:12
25.17 · Attitudes and Emotions · Desire Strongly
to desire strongly (figurative extension of meaning of πεινάω ‘to hunger,’ 23.29) to have a strong desire to attain some goal, with the implication of an existing lack In MAT 5:6 the two terms διψάω and πεινάω mutually reinforce the meaning of great desire.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
πεινάω, -@, inf. πεινᾶν (Phil. iv. 12); fut. πεινάσω (Lk. vi. 25; Rev. vii. 16); 1 aor. ἐπείνασα, ---- for the earlier forms πεινῆν, πεινήσω, éreivnoa; cf. Lob. ad Phryn. pp. 61 and 204; W.§13, 3b.; [B. 37 (32); 44 (38)]; see also διψάω ; (fr. πεῖνα hunger; [see πένης }) ; fr. Hom. down; Sept. for 31; to hunger, be hungry; a. prop. : Mt. iv. 2; xii. 1,3; xxi. 18; xxv. 85, 37,42, 44; Mk. ii. 25; xi. 12; Lk. iv. 2; vi. 3, 25; i.q. to suffer want, Ro. xii. 20; 1 Co. xi. 21, 34; to be needy, Lk. i. 53; vi. 21; Phil. iv. 12; in this same sense it is joined with διψᾶν, 1 Co. iv. 11; in figurative disc. οὐ πεινᾶν x. οὐ διψᾶν is used to describe the condition of one who is in need of nothing requisite for his real (spiritual) life and salvation, Jn. vi. 35; Rev. vii. 16. b. metaph. to crave ardently, to seek with eager desire: w. ace. of the thing, τὴν δικαιοσύνην, Mt. v. 6 (in the better Grk. auth. w. a gen., as χρημάτων, Xea. Cyr. 8, 3, 39; συμμάχων, 7, 5, 50; ἐπαίνου, oec. 13, 9; cf. W. § 30, 10, b. fin.; [B. §131, 4]; Kuinoel on Mt. v. 6, and see διψάω, 2).
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
πεινάω peinaō 23x
to hunger, be hungry, Mt. 4:2; Mk. 11:12; to be exposed to hunger, be famished, 1 Cor. 4:11; Phil. 4:12; met. to hunger after, desire earnestly, long for, Mt. 5:6
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
πεινάω, -ῶ,
[in LXX chiefly for = רָעֵב;]
to hunger, be hungry: Mt 4:2 12:1, 3 21:18 25:35, 37, 42, 44, Mk 2:25 11:12, Lk 1:53 4:2 6:3, Ro 12:20(LXX), I Co 4:11 11:21, 34, Phl 4:12, Re 7:16; metaph., Mt 5:6, Lk 6:21, 25, Jo 6:35.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
πεινάω, “hunger”: cf. P Flor I. 615 (a.p. 85) (= Chrest. 11. p- £9) λειμοῦ γεν[ομ]ένου πε[ι]νῶν οὐκ ἀπή[τ]εις [τὸ]ν πυρόν ; The construction c. acc. in Mt 5° appears to be unique. For the reading πίνων not πινῶν in P Par 4723 see σιν. πίνω, and for the disappearance of the —qw verbs from the Kowy see Proleg. p. 54, Thackeray Gr. i. p. 242.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
πεινάω (peinaō) — to hunger. πειν-άω, forms in αε contraction into η not ᾱ (as in διψάω,[Refs 2nd c.AD+], πεινῇς, -ῇ [Refs 5th c.BC+]; infinitive πεινῆν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Epic dialect πεινήμεναι [Refs 8th c.BC+]: imperfect ἐπείνων [Refs 5th c.BC+]: future πεινήσω [Refs 5th c.BC+]; later πεινάσω [ᾱ] [LXX+NT]: aorist ἐπείνησα [LXX+5th c.BC+]: perfect πεπείνηκα [Refs 5th c.BC+]: later we find the contraction of αε into ᾱ, ἐπείνας, πεινᾷ, -ᾶν, [LXX+NT]: (πεῖνἀ):—to be hungry, πεινάων, of a lion, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; κακῶς π. to be starved, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; thrice in Trag., πεινῶσα [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II. with genitive, hunger after, σίτου δ᾽ οὐκέτ᾽ ἔφη πεινήμεναι [Refs 8th c.BC+]
II.2. metaphorically, hunger, crave after, χρημάτων [Refs 5th c.BC+]; simply, to be in want of, lack, πεινῶντες ἀγαθῶν [NT+5th c.BC+]. [ᾱ in un contraction forms in [Refs 8th c.BC+] [same place], and the Attic dialect contractions (-η- from -ηε-) agree; but πεινῶντι Doric dialect 3rd.pers. plural present indicative in [Refs 5th c.BC+] codices points to -ᾰοντι.]