famine

noun

fam·​ine ˈfa-mən 

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

• shortage
• lack
• drought

Examples of famine in a Sentence

The famine affected half the continent.

millions killed by war, drought, and famine

Recent Examples on the Web

Potatoes are highly susceptible to pests like the Colorado potato beetle and diseases like late blight that caused the Irish potato famine. —Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 23 May 2026

Stories harmful to Israel—false claims that Israel caused a famine as a weapon of war, or that an Israeli air strike destroyed a Gazan hospital—are reported credulously and corrected slowly, if at all. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026

The conflict in Sudan has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced some 13 million and pushed many parts of the country into famine. —ABC News, 19 May 2026

The most recent famine was declared in Gaza City last year. —Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 17 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from feim, faim hunger, from Latin fames

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for famine

• gammon
• mammon
• backgammon
• examen
• examine
• glutamine
• reexamine

Kids Definition

famine

noun

fam·​ine ˈfam-ən 

1

: an extreme general shortage of food

2

: a great shortage