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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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That's because tomatoes are notoriously hungry for nutrients, and broccoli will compete for the same selection of nutrients in the soil.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
29 June 2025
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Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza.—
WAFAA SHURAFA,
Arkansas Online,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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The impoverished duke needs Gladys' dowry to prop up his family's estate, and Bertha may have promised him a bit too much without informing George or taking Gladys' wishes into account.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
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Known collectively as Hessians, since most Germans hired by London to fight in America came from Hesse-Kassel, this contingent was largely from the small, impoverished duchy of Brunswick, whose ruling family had intermarried with the British royal family.—
/ CBS News,
CBS News,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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The key drivers are BGE’s soaring spending and profits and poor management by PJM Interconnection, the private entity that operates our electric grid.—
Emily Scarr,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2025
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Despite having a poor 2024 season that saw the Pirates remove Bednar from the closer role, the right-hander is back to his dominant form.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Song toys with broken hearts being as interchangeable as being literally financially broke.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
16 June 2025
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Really, Song wants to know whether a sensible girl can justify shackling herself to a broke creative.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Famished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famished. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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