1
as in hungry
feeling a desire or need for food
after a full day of skiing, I was feeling absolutely famished
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of famished
The fan base is well past famished for a seventh.
—
Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 6 Feb. 2026
This postseason play feels like a treat for famished Pats fans, eager to keep the momentum going.
—Juli McDonald, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
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
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
Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 6 Feb. 2026
This postseason play feels like a treat for famished Pats fans, eager to keep the momentum going.
—Juli McDonald, CBS News, 13 Jan. 2026
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
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
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Here’s how Blum describes the process of turning Schneider into a company able to move at the speed of its energy-hungry customers.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The nod to Star Wars is intentional, and the landscape does seem like a new frontier—representing not just Meta’s stratospheric AI ambitions, but the financial, energy-hungry reality of building the infrastructure that underpins the AI boom.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Cities like Chicago — long a haven for Mexican immigrants with ties to families and a community — became landing spots for migrants from increasingly impoverished and authoritarian places such as Venezuela.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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And because of their status, undocumented students are also more likely to come from impoverished backgrounds, says Caitlin Patler, a professor of public policy at UC Berkeley.—
Jonaki Mehta,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Serious Medical and Emotional Neglect Turner said Kaiko arrived in poor health, suffering from multiple medical issues and signs of prolonged neglect.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The city of Plano scores restaurants on a 100-point system, with 100 considered a perfect score and 70 extremely poor.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In less than seven years, the Social Security retirement trust fund will go broke, and under federal law, its insolvency will automatically trigger gigantic reductions in benefits.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
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The go-for-broke concept, which includes a high-tech heist, a high-speed truck chase and a massive explosion of Cheetos dust, shows the levels to which marketers must ascend to capture consumer attention in media venues that constantly offer new stimuli.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Famished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famished. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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