famished
Americanadjective
Synonym Usage
See hungry.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of famished
First recorded in 1450–1500; late Middle English; famish + -ed 2 ( def. )
Explanation
Did you just order a double cheeseburger with large fries and a liter-sized milkshake? Either you have a death wish or you're extremely hungry — famished that is. Tracing the roots of famished leads us to the Middle English word for "starve." So it's no wonder famished means absolutely starving or totally ravenous. Just think of all those poor famished people in the Middle Ages, with only porridge and vegetables to eat and not a fast food chain in sight. It's enough to make you cry...or reach for another french fry — depending on how famished you are.
Vocabulary lists containing famished
Eat Your Words
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Night
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The Diary of Anne Frank
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One night he treated friends to shrimp, clams, fried potatoes and ouzo on the waterfront, upsetting elderly, likely famished, passersby.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
"At dinner, overindulgence doesn't happen because you don’t come to the table famished," she added.
From Salon • Jul. 23, 2024
It was Ramadan, and when the time came to break the traditional fast, T was famished.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 12, 2023
Ware is famished - her day started with 6am weight training - but after a quick glance at the burger-centric menu, she opts for a cappuccino and settles down to chat about music.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2023
I felt like hell warmed over, stupid and faintly sick and absolutely famished, and I think I probably wouldn’t have cared if the old woman who lived there had turned me over to the police.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
