famine

noun

fam·​ine ˈfa-mən 

1

: an extreme scarcity of food

The famine affected most of the country.

2

archaic : starvation

3

archaic : a ravenous appetite

4

: a great shortage

Transportation problems resulted in a coal famine.

Synonyms of famine

• shortage
• lack
• drought

Examples of famine in a Sentence

The famine affected half the continent.

millions killed by war, drought, and famine

Recent Examples on the Web

The downstream effects of that cascade can bring devastation to some places, such as by raising the risks of famines, fires and floods in Southeast Asia. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 10 July 2026

The wider conflict has killed at least 59,000, displaced 13 million and pushed parts of Sudan toward famine, with civilians trapped in siege-like conditions and vital infrastructure under relentless attack. — Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

When the world experienced what was likely one of the strongest El Niño events in the historical record in the late 1870s, the climate pattern coincided with widespread drought, crop failures and a global famine that killed millions. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 7 July 2026

Jackson Merrill continued a season of feast or famine by going 2-for-4 last night. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from feim, faim hunger, from Latin fames

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for famine

• gammon
• mammon
• backgammon
• examen
• examine
• glutamine
• reexamine

Kids Definition

famine

noun

fam·​ine ˈfam-ən 

1

: an extreme general shortage of food

2

: a great shortage