Holodomor

American  

[hoh-luh-duh-mawr, hoh-luh-duh-mawr, hoh-loh-doh-mawr] / ˈhoʊ lə dəˌmɔr, ˌhoʊ lə dəˈmɔr, hoʊ loʊ doʊˈmɔr /

noun

1. the Holodomor, a severe famine in Ukraine (1932–33), exacerbated by a series of punitive measures taken against the country by the Soviets and leading to the death of almost four million Ukrainians from hunger.

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Etymology

Origin of Holodomor

First recorded in 1930–35; from Ukrainian holodmór “death by hunger, starvation,” from hólod “hunger” + mor “extermination”

Example Sentences

Ukrainians have termed their own word for the barrage -- "Kholodomor", a reference to the Holodomor, the 1930s famine orchestrated by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin that Kyiv considers a genocide.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

Russian authorities in October dismantled Mariupol’s memorial to victims of the Holodomor, the Soviet-engineered famine in the 1930s that killed millions of Ukrainians, according to video posted on Russian television.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 21, 2022

Several European countries, including the ex-Soviet Baltic States, also recognise the Holodomor as a genocide.

From Reuters • Dec. 1, 2022

Pope Francis also said he wanted to mark the anniversary of the Holodomor, calling it a genocide and a "historical antecedent" of the current conflict.

From BBC • Nov. 28, 2022

The Holodomor, which means “death by hunger” in Ukrainian, spread in Kazakhstan and through southern Russia, but was harshest in Ukraine, where it left entire villages to starve.

From New York Times • Nov. 26, 2022