famine

American  

[fam-in] / ˈfæm ɪn /

noun

• famines
  plural

1. extreme and general scarcity of food, as in a country or a large geographical area.

2. any extreme and general scarcity.

   Synonyms:

   scantness, meagerness, poverty, paucity, dearth

3. extreme hunger; starvation.

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famine British  

/ ˈfæmɪn /

noun

1. a severe shortage of food, as through crop failure or overpopulation

2. acute shortage of anything

3. violent hunger

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famine Idioms  

1. see feast or famine.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• famines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of famine

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, derivative of faim “hunger,” from Latin famēs; cf. famish

Explanation

A famine is a severe shortage of food, but not the "I forgot to go to the grocery store and there's nothing to eat in the house" type of shortage. A famine is usually caused by crop failure or disaster. Although the "extreme shortage of food" meaning is most common, the noun famine can also mean any shortage or insufficiency, and it is often used idiomatically in the phrase "feast or famine." This usage refers to something that is alternately plentiful and scarce — like the feast and famine experienced by an artist who only occasionally sells his paintings.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

famine famines

El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras, located in the so-called "Dry Corridor", all set monthly temperature records in both June and July, heightening concerns over famine.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

Following European contact in the 15th century, Indigenous populations across the Americas declined dramatically because of disease, famine, violence, conflict and the rapid loss of genetic diversity.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

This year the Dodgers’ offense has been a case of feast or famine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Mamdani continued: “These are people who fled earthquakes, famine, war and political violence,” he said in a statement.

From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026

Summer frosts damaged crops from North America to Asia, causing widespread famine, killing millions of people around the world.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

It asserted that widespread famines and mass starvation would doom huge swaths of mankind because the world’s population was growing too rapidly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

In extreme conditions such as droughts, famines or freezing temperatures, animals activate resilience programs like hibernation instead of investing energy in reproduction.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 23, 2026

Only four previous famines have been classified by the IPC since it was established in 2004, the most recent in Sudan in 2024.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2025

With powerful statistical models, the researchers analyzed 30,000 years of archaeological records, tracing the impact of wars, famines and climate change.

From New York Times ● May 1, 2024

The archive reflects the human need to document every deed and directive, to place a veil of administrative tidiness over the disorder of famines and plagues and natural disasters and crimes and wars.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

• drought
• misery
• poverty
• scarcity
• starvation