1
: an extreme scarcity of food
The famine affected most of the country.
2
archaic
: starvation
3
archaic
: a ravenous appetite
4
: a great shortage
Transportation problems resulted in a coal famine.
Synonyms of famine
Examples of famine in a Sentence
The famine affected half the continent.
millions killed by war, drought, and famine
Recent Examples on the Web
Gibbs seems to be a feast-or-famine option as a receiver this season.
—
Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
But, Diabanté questions, isn’t a world without strife, oppression, war, famine, poverty and all other societal ailments what humans have been struggling for all along?
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
For Native people, the war marked a dangerous fork in the road, stirring famine, spurring a massive refugee crisis, and permanently shifting the balance of power in the heart of the continent.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Around 24 million are facing acute food shortages in Sudan and famine has been declared in el-Fasher, the capital of north Darfur that was seized by the RSF after an 18-month siege during which the group has been accused of mass killings.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
But, Diabanté questions, isn’t a world without strife, oppression, war, famine, poverty and all other societal ailments what humans have been struggling for all along?
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
For Native people, the war marked a dangerous fork in the road, stirring famine, spurring a massive refugee crisis, and permanently shifting the balance of power in the heart of the continent.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Around 24 million are facing acute food shortages in Sudan and famine has been declared in el-Fasher, the capital of north Darfur that was seized by the RSF after an 18-month siege during which the group has been accused of mass killings.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/famine. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
famine
noun
fam·ine
ˈfam-ən 
1
: an extreme general shortage of food
2
: a great shortage
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share