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
El Fasher was officially declared to be in famine conditions on November 3, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).
—
Rebecca Schneid, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
In years of abundance, there were surges in births; in years of famine, infanticides.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
The famine, imposed by Soviet leader Josef Stalin in the early 1930s, led to millions of deaths from starvation.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025
It’s been feast or famine for Pixar during the past two years.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for famine
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Rebecca Schneid, Time, 26 Nov. 2025
In years of abundance, there were surges in births; in years of famine, infanticides.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
The famine, imposed by Soviet leader Josef Stalin in the early 1930s, led to millions of deaths from starvation.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025
It’s been feast or famine for Pixar during the past two years.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 20 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 3 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
famine
noun
fam·ine
ˈfam-ən 
1
: an extreme general shortage of food
2
: a great shortage
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