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
Examples of famine in a Sentence
The famine affected half the continent.
millions killed by war, drought, and famine
Recent Examples on the Web
Dana Taylor: Turning to Gaza, circumstances for innocent women and children there are now dire and there is a very real risk of famine, especially in the north.
—
Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 5 May 2024
Despite the dire humanitarian situation, which also includes nearly more than half of the population struggling to feed itself and over 1 million facing famine, the U.N. has struggled to raise $674 million for the response.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for famine 
Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 5 May 2024
Despite the dire humanitarian situation, which also includes nearly more than half of the population struggling to feed itself and over 1 million facing famine, the U.N. has struggled to raise $674 million for the response.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for famine
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'famine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near famine
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/famine. Accessed 9 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
famine
noun
fam·ine
ˈfam-ən 
1
: an extreme general shortage of food
2
: a great shortage
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share