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 of famine
Examples of famine in a Sentence
The famine affected half the continent.
millions killed by war, drought, and famine
Recent Examples on the Web
The conflict has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced some 13 million and pushed many parts of Sudan into famine.
—
ABC News,
3 July 2026
After 1840, immigration from Western Europe began to rise quickly as political instability in Germany and the famine in Ireland drove people to leave.
—
Albert Sun,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
The result is an epidemic of solitude, if not loneliness; a dramatic drop in fertility; and a romantic famine across North and South America, Europe, and China.
—
Simon Sebag Montefiore,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
About 26 million people are facing food insecurity and imminent famine has been flagged in several areas of Darfur.
—
Janine Di Giovanni,
Vanity Fair,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for famine
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ABC News,
3 July 2026
After 1840, immigration from Western Europe began to rise quickly as political instability in Germany and the famine in Ireland drove people to leave.
—
Albert Sun,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
The result is an epidemic of solitude, if not loneliness; a dramatic drop in fertility; and a romantic famine across North and South America, Europe, and China.
—
Simon Sebag Montefiore,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
About 26 million people are facing food insecurity and imminent famine has been flagged in several areas of Darfur.
—
Janine Di Giovanni,
Vanity Fair,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for famine
Cite this Entry
“Famine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/famine. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
famine
noun
fam·ine
ˈfam-ən 
1
: an extreme general shortage of food
2
: a great shortage
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