'hunger-inducing' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the noun 'hunger' (from Old English 'hungor') and the present participle 'inducing' from the verb 'induce' (from Latin 'inducere', where 'in-' meant 'into' and 'ducere' meant 'to lead').

'hunger' developed from Old English 'hungor' into Middle English 'hunger'; 'induce' comes from Latin 'inducere' which passed into Old French (e.g. 'induire') and Middle English before becoming the Modern English 'induce', with its present participle 'inducing' used to form compounds like 'hunger-inducing'.

Initially the separate elements meant 'hunger' and 'to lead into'; over time the compound has been used in Modern English to mean 'causing hunger' or 'stimulating appetite'.