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

About 600 aid trucks had entered daily since the ceasefire began Jan. 19, easing fears of famine raised by international experts. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 3 Mar. 2025

About 600 aid trucks had entered daily since the cease-fire began Jan. 19, easing fears of famine raised by international experts. —Tia Goldenberg and Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025

This initiative helped avert potential global famines and boosted incomes for poor farmers, particularly in Asia. —A.j. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 17 Feb. 2025

Now, as famine spreads, Islamist militias and their military allies are battling a paramilitary group accused of genocide by Washington. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 16 Feb. 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