Synonyms of famine

famine

noun

ˈfa-mən 

as in shortage

a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number

there's a famine of good general practitioners in many rural areas

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shortage
• lack
• drought
• deficiency
• poverty
• scarcity
• deficit
• insufficiency
• absence
• paucity
• dearth
• inadequacy
• crunch
• undersupply
• failure
• scantiness
• lacuna
• pinch
• scarceness
• inadequateness
• omission
• want
• privation
• necessity
• meagerness
• poorness
• skimpiness
• need

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abundance
• wealth
• sufficiency
• plenty
• amplitude
• opulence
• adequacy
• plenitude
• surplus
• excess
• oversupply
• overabundance
• surfeit
• bountifulness
• copiousness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of famine

Although the food situation has improved since last year’s famine, Israel continues to restrict humanitarian aid, allowing only a fraction of the daily 600 truckloads required in the cease-fire deal to enter the territory. — Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026

The assault triggered Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip, the killing of more than 74,000 Palestinians, famine and widespread devastation. — Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026

In opulent London salons at the turn of the 19th century, economists including David Ricardo and Thomas Malthus debated trade, famine and the fate of the poor. — Julia R. Cartwright, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2026

The 2020-2022 Tigray war killed more than 100,000 people and contributed to famine in the region. — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 28 Sep. 2026