Ravenous hungry.

Isn't it redundant? I heard it on tv actually in a BBC programme.

"ravenous hungry" or "ravenously hungry"?

Either way, yes, it is redundant. But the speaker was using "ravenous(ly)" as a modifying adverb to exaggerate his/her hungry condition. I guess you can classify this figure of speech as a hyperbolism or an overstatement, which is perfectly acceptable in informal English, IMHO.

Very well understood a million thanks.

There is no redundance in `ravenously hungry.' On one hand, you could be hungry without being ravenous. On the other hand, ravenous does not mean ``hungry'' -- look it up. Julian, can you explain what you
think the redundance is?

Okay. I looked it up:

ravenous - adj. 1. Extremely hungry; voracious. 2. Rapacious; predatory.
3. Greedy for gratification: ravenous for power.

ravenously - adv. in the manner of someone who is very hungry

If we take the first part of definition #1, and put that in place of "ravenous" in "ravenous hungry", you end up with "extremely hungry hungry". Hence, the redundancy.

"Ravenously hungry" is not something most ordinary people would say, certainly not here in Scotland. It sounds affected really. Most people say "I'm starving" when they need a bite or two...of course they're not starving in the literal sense. Here we use the word "hungert" meaning hungry for food. If anyone looks as if they could do with a meal we say "you look fair shilpit".

Both the m-w and OED online give 'rapacious' as the first definition of ravenous. There is a difference between being 'ravenous' and
being 'ravenously hungry' just like there is a difference between being pitiful and being pitifully hungry. Wild animals are routinely described as
'ravenous' whether they are hungry or not. So I don't buy the
line that 'ravenously hungry' is redundant.

Doesn't ravenous come from raven?

No.

ravenous - 1412, from Old French ravinos "rapacious, violent", from raviner "to take by force", from Vulgar Latin rapinare, from Latin rapina, "plunder". Meaning "voracious, very hungry" is from c.1430.

raven - from Old English hræfn

oh...lol But it still makes sense, no? The raven is a scary bird.

In conclusion, can I say "ravenous hungry" ? or should I use the adverb better?

"Ravenous hungry" comes across as grammatical to me, if a bit awkward. So you *could* say it, I suppose, but I would go with "I'm starving" instead. At least, that's what's common around here (California or Boston, Massachusetts -- which are on opposite sides of the US, but are the only places I've lived).

Since you need an adverb to modify an adjective, the correct phrase is certainly 'ravenously hungry.' I'm sorry that Damian and I didn't address that. To be redundant: 'ravenous hungry' is incorrect.

Very well then, there is a couple more for you to make it clear.


"Up above and down below", I have heard these two a lot but I have never seen them in written English.

Both 'up above' and 'down below' are unexceptional phrases, in AE at least.