energy-hungry

The compound 'energy-hungry' is a modern metaphorical formation, following a productive English pattern where a noun is combined with the adjective 'hungry' to denote a strong appetite or need for that noun. The first element, 'energy', traces its lineage to Greek philosophical concepts of active being and work. The second element, 'hungry', originates from a primal Germanic root related to the physical need for food. The compound's logic is transparent: it likens a device, system, or process that consumes or demands large quantities of energy to a person with a voracious appetite. This figurative use extends the biological concept of hunger into the technological and economic domains, creating a vivid and efficient descriptor.

Structure: energy (capacity for activity) + hungry (desiring/needing) - energy: From Latin energia, from Greek energeia (activity, operation), from energos (active), from en- (in) + ergon (work). In this compound, it functions as a noun denoting the resource that is consumed. - hungry: From Old English hungrig (hungry, famished), from Proto-Germanic hungrugaz. In this compound, it functions as an adjective meaning "having a strong desire or need for."