famished
Americanadjective
Related Words
See hungry.
Other Word 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.
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 was so famished for a role like this,” the 51-year-old Quan told me.
From New York Times • Oct. 21, 2022
It had been a long day, and my roommate Somesh and I were famished and exhausted.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2022
Green, like some famished dragon with its sights set on a delectable prince to devour.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
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.
