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

As a result, there was a great famine in the city. —Helaine Williams, Arkansas Online, 6 June 2026

How to manage in times of war or famine. —Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Land is inspired by her great-great-grandfather, who made maps for the British in the wake of the Great Hunger, the catastrophic famine spanning the years 1847 to 1852. —Rachel Vorona Cote, Vulture, 2 June 2026

The play, produced by The Royal Shakespeare Company, tells the story of 13-year-old Kamkwamba’s plan to build a windmill during Malawi’s famine in 2001. —Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 1 June 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