Standard Lemma guide

famish

verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈfamɪʃ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To starve (to death); to kill or destroy with hunger.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To exhaust the strength or endurance of, by hunger; to cause to be very hungry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To kill, or to cause great suffering to, by depriving or denying anything necessary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To force, control, or constrain by famine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To die of hunger; to starve to death.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To suffer extreme hunger or thirst, so as to be exhausted in strength, or to nearly perish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To suffer extremity from deprivation of anything essential or necessary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

die of food deprivation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The political prisoners starved to death
  • Many famished in the countryside during the drought

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: starve

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: die, decease, perish, go, exit, pass away, expire, pass, kick the bucket, cash in one's chips, buy the farm, conk, give-up the ghost, drop dead, pop off, choke, croak, snuff it

9

verb

Meaning 9

deprive of food

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • They starved the prisoners

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: starve

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: deprive

10

verb

Meaning 10

be hungry; go without food

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Let's eat--I'm starving!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: starve, hunger

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: suffer, hurt

History

Etymology

From Middle English famisshe, from famen (“starve”), from Old French afamer, ultimately from Latin famēs (“hunger”). Compare affamish, famine. Cognate with Spanish hambre (“hunger”).

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: гладувам (gladuvam) — To suffer extreme hunger
  • Czech: hladovět — To suffer extreme hunger
  • Czech: umírat hlady — To suffer extreme hunger
  • Woiwurrung: nerribrenin — To suffer extreme hunger