“Starve to death” Vs. “Starve to the point of death”
About a year ago, I had an on-line friend, a native speaker, chatting with me. When I sent a message to him saying:
I'm starving to the point of death.
He rephrased that as:
I'm starving to death.
But now that I think about it, and googled it, my expression wasn't wrong and they use it a lot. So I was wondering why he had to correct the sentence. Is it not a colloquial language? Or does it have slightly differences in meaning?
meaning
edited 6 hours ago
Lucian Sava
9,038113073
asked 7 hours ago
dolcodolco
55728
add a comment |
About a year ago, I had an on-line friend, a native speaker, chatting with me. When I sent a message to him saying:
I'm starving to the point of death.
He rephrased that as:
I'm starving to death.
But now that I think about it, and googled it, my expression wasn't wrong and they use it a lot. So I was wondering why he had to correct the sentence. Is it not a colloquial language? Or does it have slightly differences in meaning?
meaning
edited 6 hours ago
Lucian Sava
9,038113073
asked 7 hours ago
dolcodolco
55728
add a comment |
About a year ago, I had an on-line friend, a native speaker, chatting with me. When I sent a message to him saying:
I'm starving to the point of death.
He rephrased that as:
I'm starving to death.
But now that I think about it, and googled it, my expression wasn't wrong and they use it a lot. So I was wondering why he had to correct the sentence. Is it not a colloquial language? Or does it have slightly differences in meaning?
meaning
edited 6 hours ago
Lucian Sava
9,038113073
asked 7 hours ago
dolcodolco
55728
About a year ago, I had an on-line friend, a native speaker, chatting with me. When I sent a message to him saying:
I'm starving to the point of death.
He rephrased that as:
I'm starving to death.
But now that I think about it, and googled it, my expression wasn't wrong and they use it a lot. So I was wondering why he had to correct the sentence. Is it not a colloquial language? Or does it have slightly differences in meaning?
meaning
meaning
edited 6 hours ago
Lucian Sava
9,038113073
asked 7 hours ago
dolcodolco
55728
edited 6 hours ago
Lucian Sava
9,038113073
asked 7 hours ago
dolcodolco
55728
edited 6 hours ago
Lucian Sava
9,038113073
edited 6 hours ago
Lucian Sava
9,038113073
edited 6 hours ago
Lucian Sava
9,038113073
9,038113073
asked 7 hours ago
dolcodolco
55728
asked 7 hours ago
dolcodolco
55728
asked 7 hours ago
dolcodolco
55728
55728
add a comment |
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
If someone starves to death, they are dead.
If someone starves to the point of death, they are on the cusp of dying due to starvation, but have not yet done so. If they do not get food immediately, they will die. Your friend was using it as hyperbole, or dramatic overstatement.
Of course, if someone really were starving to the point of death, they would be unconscious and couldn't eat, and would need intravenous nutrition.
This is not to be confused with at the point of death, which means "at the moment that death occurred". It is particularly used for legal stuff related to what happens after someone dies, but is used in other contexts as well.
answered 7 hours ago
SamBCSamBC
6,454528
6
I might add that while I'm starving or I'm starving to death is extremely common hyperbole in casual conversation, I'm starving to the point of death is unusual and somewhat unnatural even though it is perfectly grammatical and would have essentially the same meaning.
– choster
6 hours ago
People say "I'm freezing to death" when they are feeling slightly cold.
– Michael Harvey
5 hours ago
Very true @choster, but the other "I'm starving" constructions are hyperbole that is so common that I don't even think of it as such - they're figures of speech. To the point of death goes into definite excessive hyperbole, but people do do that sometimes.
– SamBC
4 hours ago
add a comment |
The idiomatic phrase is "starving to death", which is a massively exaggerated way of saying "I'm hungry". "Starving to the point of death" isn't wrong; it's just not what people normally say.
If you were speaking literally, "I'm starving to death" would mean that you had been without food for so long that you were going to die of hunger and you expected that to happen. "I'm starving to the point of death" would suggest that you somehow knew that you would almost starve to death but be rescued at the last moment. That's an unusually precise prediction! In reality, I assume you were just using hyperbole and, in that case, the idiomatic "I'm starving to death" is the phrase to use. If you're going to exaggerate for effect, exaggerate as much as possible!
answered 4 hours ago
David RicherbyDavid Richerby
7,0641941
Likewise, a common hyperbole from the other direction is "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse".
– jamesqf
3 hours ago
add a comment |
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
If someone starves to death, they are dead.
If someone starves to the point of death, they are on the cusp of dying due to starvation, but have not yet done so. If they do not get food immediately, they will die. Your friend was using it as hyperbole, or dramatic overstatement.
Of course, if someone really were starving to the point of death, they would be unconscious and couldn't eat, and would need intravenous nutrition.
This is not to be confused with at the point of death, which means "at the moment that death occurred". It is particularly used for legal stuff related to what happens after someone dies, but is used in other contexts as well.
answered 7 hours ago
SamBCSamBC
6,454528
6
I might add that while I'm starving or I'm starving to death is extremely common hyperbole in casual conversation, I'm starving to the point of death is unusual and somewhat unnatural even though it is perfectly grammatical and would have essentially the same meaning.
– choster
6 hours ago
People say "I'm freezing to death" when they are feeling slightly cold.
– Michael Harvey
5 hours ago
Very true @choster, but the other "I'm starving" constructions are hyperbole that is so common that I don't even think of it as such - they're figures of speech. To the point of death goes into definite excessive hyperbole, but people do do that sometimes.
– SamBC
4 hours ago
add a comment |
If someone starves to death, they are dead.
If someone starves to the point of death, they are on the cusp of dying due to starvation, but have not yet done so. If they do not get food immediately, they will die. Your friend was using it as hyperbole, or dramatic overstatement.
Of course, if someone really were starving to the point of death, they would be unconscious and couldn't eat, and would need intravenous nutrition.
This is not to be confused with at the point of death, which means "at the moment that death occurred". It is particularly used for legal stuff related to what happens after someone dies, but is used in other contexts as well.
answered 7 hours ago
SamBCSamBC
6,454528
6
I might add that while I'm starving or I'm starving to death is extremely common hyperbole in casual conversation, I'm starving to the point of death is unusual and somewhat unnatural even though it is perfectly grammatical and would have essentially the same meaning.
– choster
6 hours ago
People say "I'm freezing to death" when they are feeling slightly cold.
– Michael Harvey
5 hours ago
Very true @choster, but the other "I'm starving" constructions are hyperbole that is so common that I don't even think of it as such - they're figures of speech. To the point of death goes into definite excessive hyperbole, but people do do that sometimes.
– SamBC
4 hours ago
add a comment |
If someone starves to death, they are dead.
If someone starves to the point of death, they are on the cusp of dying due to starvation, but have not yet done so. If they do not get food immediately, they will die. Your friend was using it as hyperbole, or dramatic overstatement.
Of course, if someone really were starving to the point of death, they would be unconscious and couldn't eat, and would need intravenous nutrition.
This is not to be confused with at the point of death, which means "at the moment that death occurred". It is particularly used for legal stuff related to what happens after someone dies, but is used in other contexts as well.
answered 7 hours ago
SamBCSamBC
6,454528
If someone starves to death, they are dead.
If someone starves to the point of death, they are on the cusp of dying due to starvation, but have not yet done so. If they do not get food immediately, they will die. Your friend was using it as hyperbole, or dramatic overstatement.
Of course, if someone really were starving to the point of death, they would be unconscious and couldn't eat, and would need intravenous nutrition.
This is not to be confused with at the point of death, which means "at the moment that death occurred". It is particularly used for legal stuff related to what happens after someone dies, but is used in other contexts as well.
answered 7 hours ago
SamBCSamBC
6,454528
answered 7 hours ago
SamBCSamBC
6,454528
answered 7 hours ago
SamBCSamBC
6,454528
answered 7 hours ago
SamBCSamBC
6,454528
6,454528
6
I might add that while I'm starving or I'm starving to death is extremely common hyperbole in casual conversation, I'm starving to the point of death is unusual and somewhat unnatural even though it is perfectly grammatical and would have essentially the same meaning.
– choster
6 hours ago
People say "I'm freezing to death" when they are feeling slightly cold.
– Michael Harvey
5 hours ago
Very true @choster, but the other "I'm starving" constructions are hyperbole that is so common that I don't even think of it as such - they're figures of speech. To the point of death goes into definite excessive hyperbole, but people do do that sometimes.
– SamBC
4 hours ago
add a comment |
6
I might add that while I'm starving or I'm starving to death is extremely common hyperbole in casual conversation, I'm starving to the point of death is unusual and somewhat unnatural even though it is perfectly grammatical and would have essentially the same meaning.
– choster
6 hours ago
People say "I'm freezing to death" when they are feeling slightly cold.
– Michael Harvey
5 hours ago
Very true @choster, but the other "I'm starving" constructions are hyperbole that is so common that I don't even think of it as such - they're figures of speech. To the point of death goes into definite excessive hyperbole, but people do do that sometimes.
– SamBC
4 hours ago
6
6
I might add that while I'm starving or I'm starving to death is extremely common hyperbole in casual conversation, I'm starving to the point of death is unusual and somewhat unnatural even though it is perfectly grammatical and would have essentially the same meaning.
– choster
6 hours ago
I might add that while I'm starving or I'm starving to death is extremely common hyperbole in casual conversation, I'm starving to the point of death is unusual and somewhat unnatural even though it is perfectly grammatical and would have essentially the same meaning.
– choster
6 hours ago
People say "I'm freezing to death" when they are feeling slightly cold.
– Michael Harvey
5 hours ago
People say "I'm freezing to death" when they are feeling slightly cold.
– Michael Harvey
5 hours ago
Very true @choster, but the other "I'm starving" constructions are hyperbole that is so common that I don't even think of it as such - they're figures of speech. To the point of death goes into definite excessive hyperbole, but people do do that sometimes.
– SamBC
4 hours ago
Very true @choster, but the other "I'm starving" constructions are hyperbole that is so common that I don't even think of it as such - they're figures of speech. To the point of death goes into definite excessive hyperbole, but people do do that sometimes.
– SamBC
4 hours ago
add a comment |
The idiomatic phrase is "starving to death", which is a massively exaggerated way of saying "I'm hungry". "Starving to the point of death" isn't wrong; it's just not what people normally say.
If you were speaking literally, "I'm starving to death" would mean that you had been without food for so long that you were going to die of hunger and you expected that to happen. "I'm starving to the point of death" would suggest that you somehow knew that you would almost starve to death but be rescued at the last moment. That's an unusually precise prediction! In reality, I assume you were just using hyperbole and, in that case, the idiomatic "I'm starving to death" is the phrase to use. If you're going to exaggerate for effect, exaggerate as much as possible!
answered 4 hours ago
David RicherbyDavid Richerby
7,0641941
Likewise, a common hyperbole from the other direction is "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse".
– jamesqf
3 hours ago
add a comment |
The idiomatic phrase is "starving to death", which is a massively exaggerated way of saying "I'm hungry". "Starving to the point of death" isn't wrong; it's just not what people normally say.
If you were speaking literally, "I'm starving to death" would mean that you had been without food for so long that you were going to die of hunger and you expected that to happen. "I'm starving to the point of death" would suggest that you somehow knew that you would almost starve to death but be rescued at the last moment. That's an unusually precise prediction! In reality, I assume you were just using hyperbole and, in that case, the idiomatic "I'm starving to death" is the phrase to use. If you're going to exaggerate for effect, exaggerate as much as possible!
answered 4 hours ago
David RicherbyDavid Richerby
7,0641941
Likewise, a common hyperbole from the other direction is "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse".
– jamesqf
3 hours ago
add a comment |
The idiomatic phrase is "starving to death", which is a massively exaggerated way of saying "I'm hungry". "Starving to the point of death" isn't wrong; it's just not what people normally say.
If you were speaking literally, "I'm starving to death" would mean that you had been without food for so long that you were going to die of hunger and you expected that to happen. "I'm starving to the point of death" would suggest that you somehow knew that you would almost starve to death but be rescued at the last moment. That's an unusually precise prediction! In reality, I assume you were just using hyperbole and, in that case, the idiomatic "I'm starving to death" is the phrase to use. If you're going to exaggerate for effect, exaggerate as much as possible!
answered 4 hours ago
David RicherbyDavid Richerby
7,0641941
The idiomatic phrase is "starving to death", which is a massively exaggerated way of saying "I'm hungry". "Starving to the point of death" isn't wrong; it's just not what people normally say.
If you were speaking literally, "I'm starving to death" would mean that you had been without food for so long that you were going to die of hunger and you expected that to happen. "I'm starving to the point of death" would suggest that you somehow knew that you would almost starve to death but be rescued at the last moment. That's an unusually precise prediction! In reality, I assume you were just using hyperbole and, in that case, the idiomatic "I'm starving to death" is the phrase to use. If you're going to exaggerate for effect, exaggerate as much as possible!
answered 4 hours ago
David RicherbyDavid Richerby
7,0641941
answered 4 hours ago
David RicherbyDavid Richerby
7,0641941
answered 4 hours ago
David RicherbyDavid Richerby
7,0641941
answered 4 hours ago
David RicherbyDavid Richerby
7,0641941
7,0641941
Likewise, a common hyperbole from the other direction is "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse".
– jamesqf
3 hours ago
add a comment |
Likewise, a common hyperbole from the other direction is "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse".
– jamesqf
3 hours ago
Likewise, a common hyperbole from the other direction is "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse".
– jamesqf
3 hours ago
Likewise, a common hyperbole from the other direction is "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse".
– jamesqf
3 hours ago
add a comment |
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