Casualphrase
avere una fame da lupo
to be ravenously hungry, to be starving
Literal Translation
"to have a wolf's hunger"
Formal Equivalent
avere molta fame
Examples in Context
"Ho una fame da lupo — non mangio da stamattina!"
"I'm starving — I haven't eaten since this morning!"
"Dopo la partita avevamo tutti una fame da lupo."
"After the match we were all ravenously hungry."
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Cultural Note
Wolves were once common in Italy's mountains and deeply embedded in folklore. This vivid expression captures extreme hunger. Italians take skipping meals very seriously — arriving at the table with una fame da lupo means someone failed to feed you, which is almost a scandal.
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