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

Widespread violence, including allegations of a genocide in the western Darfur region, has led to at least 150,000 people being killed, alongside famine and a collapse of health systems in what the UN has called the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. —Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026

And while famine has not yet emerged, food insecurity has increased, with most Cubans eating a limited diet and skipping meals. —Joseph J. Gonzalez, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026

We were used to lives of feast or famine. —Jonathan Taplin, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2026

And while famine has not yet emerged, food insecurity has increased, with most Cubans eating a limited diet and skipping meals. —Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 7 Jan. 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