Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

feast-or-famine

adjective

Definition of feast-or-famine 

: marked by extremes (as of success and failure or prosperity and depression) ski-area operators agree that theirs is uniquely a feast-or-famine business— William Gilman it follows … that mineral exploitation is a feast-or-famine industry— H. A. Meyerhoff

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Learn More about feast-or-famine

Share feast-or-famine

Statistics for feast-or-famine

Look-up Popularity

Comments on feast-or-famine

What made you want to look up feast-or-famine? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

exculpate

to clear from alleged fault or guilt

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Difficult Vocab Quiz

  • the-education-of-achilles-eugne-delacroix
  • Which is a synonym of discomfit?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games