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
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
Newcomer to the scene, The Madrid Edition, opened three years ago but is already established as a multi-pronged watering hole for the chic and famished.
—Alissa Fitzgerald, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
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
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
Newcomer to the scene, The Madrid Edition, opened three years ago but is already established as a multi-pronged watering hole for the chic and famished.
—Alissa Fitzgerald, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
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
-
Soaring ratings transform him into an unlikely prophet for a network hungry for spectacle, in a world where outrage sells and attention is the ultimate currency.—
Cincinnati Enquirer,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Mar. 2026
-
That openness remained, even as Anthropic transitioned from a small research group to a massive company raising tens of billions of dollars from a wide range of profit-hungry investors.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Through its clear imagery, operators can navigate safely and assess fire scenes even with poor visibility.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
-
An injection like this has a clear advantage over daily prevention pills in poorer countries, where patients – particularly young women – might struggle to access clinics or feel stigmatised for seeking treatment.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Kaiser Permanente’s planned, 310-bed hospital and Sacramento Republic FC’s 12,000-seat stadium broke ground in the Railyards.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Famished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famished. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
