‘绝食’ literally means ‘to cut off food’ — the character 绝 (jué) conveys ‘to cut off, cease completely,’ and 食 (shí) means ‘food’ or ‘to eat.’ Together, they form a compound noun meaning ‘hunger strike’: a deliberate, voluntary refusal to eat (and sometimes drink) as a form of nonviolent protest or political pressure. It is not used for accidental fasting, dieting, or medical fasting.

The term carries strong sociopolitical connotations and appears frequently in news reports, human rights discussions, and historical accounts. While grammatically a noun, it functions as the core of verb phrases like ‘进行绝食’ (to conduct a hunger strike) or ‘开始绝食’ (to begin a hunger strike). It is formal and serious in register — rarely used in casual conversation or light contexts — and almost always implies intentionality, duration, and public significance.