1
as in hungry
feeling a desire or need for food
after a full day of skiing, I was feeling absolutely famished
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
a group of local citizens working to ease the plight of the famished families in their community
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of famished
On the outskirts of Wollongong, waking at dawn from its 20-hour nap, a famished, branch-hugging koala stretched its claw skyward for a fat, juicy green eucalyptus leaf.
—
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2024
Her eyes, so Mesopotamian, now overwhelmed her famished face.
—Junot Díaz, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
In Jamaica, new arrivals were so famished and overworked that about half of them died within two or three years, said Vincent Brown, a history professor at Harvard.
—David Segal, New York Times, 8 July 2023
About 30 miles west of Space Town, Katy's food scene has emerged into something special for every famished foodie.
—Vicki Salemi, Chron, 23 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for famished
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2024
Her eyes, so Mesopotamian, now overwhelmed her famished face.
—Junot Díaz, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
In Jamaica, new arrivals were so famished and overworked that about half of them died within two or three years, said Vincent Brown, a history professor at Harvard.
—David Segal, New York Times, 8 July 2023
About 30 miles west of Space Town, Katy's food scene has emerged into something special for every famished foodie.
—Vicki Salemi, Chron, 23 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for famished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famished
Adjective
-
Managing change proactively rather than reactively means staying hungry, staying humble and staying committed to the long-term vision—especially when things are going well.—
Robert Balentine,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
-
The Kings didn’t push to create offense, with only 15 third-period shot attempts (only six of which went on goal) and instead focused on fending off a hungry Oilers team.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Pope Francis was the first pope to take the name of St. Francis of Assisi, well-known for his call for engagement with the impoverished, love of creation and the Church.—
Gabriele Regalbuto,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2025
-
The dedication to care for impoverished women and children continues to influence the culture and values of Mercy today.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Consumer spending softened, increasing 1.8%, down from a 4% rise in the fourth quarter, but a decent performance in light of stock market turmoil and poor weather early in the quarter.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
Director of football Jon Rudkin is the man most hold accountable for the recent poor recruitment record.—
Rob Tanner,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The match-up broke ratings records, with nearly 128 million viewers tuning in, according to Nielsen.—
Judy Kurtz,
The Hill,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Fake Wedding follows two broke singles who throw a fake wedding to cash in on the registry and the very real problems the make-believe couple encounters.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Famished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famished. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share