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

• crunch
• dearth
• deficiency
• deficit
• drought
• drouth
• failure
• inadequacy
• inadequateness
• insufficiency
• lack
• lacuna
• paucity
• pinch
• poverty
• scantiness
• scarceness
• scarcity
• shortage
• undersupply
• want

Examples of famine in a Sentence

The famine affected half the continent.

millions killed by war, drought, and famine

Recent Examples on the Web

The result was what today is known as the Great Famine, which lasted from 1958 to 1962, killed as many as forty-five million people, and is widely regarded as the worst famine in history. —Ian Johnson, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2024

Despite what Harris deceptively implied, the truth is that Israel facilitated a surge of aid that prevented a famine. —David Adesnik, National Review, 30 July 2024

Aid groups have struggled to deliver food and supplies, prompting warnings of famine. —Abby Sewell and Tia Goldenberg, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024

The exodus had led to famine, disease and an untold number of dead. —Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 9 Aug. 2024

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

Kids Definition

famine

noun

fam·​ine ˈfam-ən 

1

: an extreme general shortage of food

2

: a great shortage