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

There is no ceasefire in the region and aid deliveries are limited, with the World Food Program warning of famine. —Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025

Experts have warned of famine in the territory that is home to about 2 million Palestinians. —Mohammad Jahjouh, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025

Half a million people in Gaza are now starving and the entire territory is at risk of famine, according to a report last month by dozens of independent experts on hunger. —Aya Batrawy, NPR, 17 June 2025

For months, experts have also warned that Palestinians in Gaza are on the brink of famine. —Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2025

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