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

Poliński said Zosia would likely have been blamed for misfortunes such as disease and famine that often plagued the region in the 17th century, which people sometimes attributed to supernatural activity by the dead. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

That El Niño is attributed to tens of millions of deaths from global famine. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Floods, fires, famines and societal collapse remain reliable plot devices. — Solitaire Townsend, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

For this reason, during stressful situations like a famine or during conflicts when the body might require lots of extra calories, the brain directs cortisol levels to rise, which among other things causes the body to store more abdominal fat. — Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 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