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

• crunch
• dearth
• deficiency
• deficit
• drought
• drouth
• failure
• inadequacy
• inadequateness
• insufficiency
• lack
• lacuna
• paucity
• pinch
• poverty
• scantiness
• scarceness
• scarcity
• shortage
• undersupply
• want

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 committees aim to establish secure aid convoys, which often face challenges such as looting, hoarding and profiteering in their efforts to deliver humanitarian supplies to Palestinians facing the risk of famine. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 13 Dec. 2024

How Is the Humanitarian Crisis Unfolding? Gaza's situation has reached dire levels, with U.N. experts warning of famine. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

The risk of famine persists across the Strip, with a strong likelihood that famine is imminent in northern Gaza. —Sarah Ferguson, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024

It was written by Bob Geldof and Ultravox’s Midge Ure following a BBC report into famine in Ethiopia, and has since become one of the U.K.’s best-selling singles of all-time. —Sophie Williams, Billboard, 3 Dec. 2024

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

Kids Definition

famine

noun

fam·​ine ˈfam-ən 

1

: an extreme general shortage of food

2

: a great shortage