1
as in hungry
feeling a desire or need for food
after a full day of skiing, I was feeling absolutely famished
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impoverished
lacking money or material possessions
a group of local citizens working to ease the plight of the famished families in their community
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of famished
On the outskirts of Wollongong, waking at dawn from its 20-hour nap, a famished, branch-hugging koala stretched its claw skyward for a fat, juicy green eucalyptus leaf.
—
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2024
Her eyes, so Mesopotamian, now overwhelmed her famished face.
—Junot Díaz, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
In Jamaica, new arrivals were so famished and overworked that about half of them died within two or three years, said Vincent Brown, a history professor at Harvard.
—David Segal, New York Times, 8 July 2023
About 30 miles west of Space Town, Katy's food scene has emerged into something special for every famished foodie.
—Vicki Salemi, Chron, 23 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for famished
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2024
Her eyes, so Mesopotamian, now overwhelmed her famished face.
—Junot Díaz, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
In Jamaica, new arrivals were so famished and overworked that about half of them died within two or three years, said Vincent Brown, a history professor at Harvard.
—David Segal, New York Times, 8 July 2023
About 30 miles west of Space Town, Katy's food scene has emerged into something special for every famished foodie.
—Vicki Salemi, Chron, 23 Apr. 2023
See All Example Sentences for famished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for famished
Adjective
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Milwaukee Brewers fans are hungry for a 12th consecutive victory -- and a free George Webb’s burger.—
Sofia Joseph,
jsonline.com,
22 July 2025
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But the scene also looms large for young Ruth: Maria’s earrings represent the mysterious world of adults, one that Ruth is hungry to learn more about.—
Bekah Waalkes,
The Atlantic,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Will parts of Norway look like Nauru, a formerly lush tropical paradise stripped of its phosphate rock, and now a barren, impoverished cautionary tale?—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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The owner had purchased it in 2006 through a federal mortgage program designed specifically for people like her: impoverished, first-time homeowners who live in the most rural parts of the United States.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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Spurred by climate change, Canadian wildfires have increasingly exacerbated poor air quality across Milwaukee and southern Wisconsin.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
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Because the movie's central dynamic—a powerful, U.S.-backed aggressor invading a poor, largely defenseless neighbor—is all too familiar.—
Faisal Kutty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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None of that foursome broke camp on Toronto’s Opening Day roster.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
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Meanwhile, lawmakers learned Wednesday that Social Security and Medicare are expected to go broke earlier than last projected because of rising costs, according to the funds’ trustees.—
Kristina Karisch,
The Hill,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Famished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/famished. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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