1
as in hungry
feeling a desire or need for food
after a full day of skiing, I was feeling absolutely famished
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of famished
This postseason play feels like a treat for famished Pats fans, eager to keep the momentum going.
—
Juli McDonald, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
One of the few remaining bistros that once served Les Halles’ famished porters, this elbow-to-elbow spot is referred to by regulars as Chez Denise, after its late former owner, Denise Benariac.
—Lindsey Tramuta, Saveur, 19 Nov. 2025
In his last broadcast — aired hours before he was killed — al-Sharif showed images of Gaza's famished children suffering from Israeli restrictions on aid.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 12 Aug. 2025
After over 23 hours of flying, starting in Heathrow, connecting in New York, and making a quick pit stop in Bogotá, I was terribly famished.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for famished
Juli McDonald, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
One of the few remaining bistros that once served Les Halles’ famished porters, this elbow-to-elbow spot is referred to by regulars as Chez Denise, after its late former owner, Denise Benariac.
—Lindsey Tramuta, Saveur, 19 Nov. 2025
In his last broadcast — aired hours before he was killed — al-Sharif showed images of Gaza's famished children suffering from Israeli restrictions on aid.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 12 Aug. 2025
After over 23 hours of flying, starting in Heathrow, connecting in New York, and making a quick pit stop in Bogotá, I was terribly famished.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for famished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famished
Adjective
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The sun is being devoured by energy-hungry microbes, called Astrophage, and the resulting cooling threatens to wipe out much of Earth’s population.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Rivian has been teasing the R2 for a while now, dangling the promise of a smaller, cheaper, more attainable version of its beloved R1S in front of adventure-hungry buyers who couldn’t quite stretch to the $77,000-plus sticker of its halo SUV.—
Kevin Sintumuang,
Outside,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Salt was another luxury for the impoverished migrants.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Cinema-going culture has struggled to take hold in much of South Africa, particularly in townships and other impoverished communities, prompting the organizers to focus on building that culture in the next generation of South African moviegoers and filmmakers.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
While youth suicide remains a leading cause of death, the youth suicide rate is down in Colorado, and the number of kids reporting poor mental health also dropped from 23% in 2023 to 14% in 2025.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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The launch came amid overcast skies and a weather forecast that was reduced to just a 75% chance for good conditions, according to Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron, which also noted a moderate risk for poor conditions at the booster landing site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The first stretch of the movie is strong, with Kenna, who is too broke for a car or even a phone, hoofing it around town in search of any job willing to hire a broke girl with a criminal record.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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New legislation was intended to limit this, but in 1998, the Fed stepped in when a hedge fund, Long Term Capital Management, went broke.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Famished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famished. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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