Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Extremely hungry: The primary meaning of "famished" is to be suffering from severe hunger, to the point of weakness or distress. It describes a state beyond simple hunger.

Usage

"Famished" is used as a predicate adjective, typically following a linking verb like "be," "feel," or "look." It is a strong, descriptive word often used for emphasis. - After hiking all day without lunch, we were absolutely famished. - The famished refugees gratefully accepted the food parcels.

Advanced Usage

• "to be famished for": This construction can be used metaphorically to express an intense craving or desperate need for something non-physical, such as attention, affection, or knowledge.
  • The lonely child was famished for a friend.
  • Her mind, famished for new ideas, devoured every book she could find.

Variants and Related Words

• Famish (verb, archaic): To suffer from extreme hunger; to starve. This verb form is now rare in modern English.
  • They feared the garrison would famish during the long siege.

Synonyms

• Ravenous: Emphasizes a voracious, animal-like hunger.
• Starving: Often used interchangeably with "famished" in casual speech, though it literally means dying from lack of food.
• Esurient (literary): Having a greedy or eager hunger.

Idioms and Common Phrases

• "I'm famished!": A common exclamation to state that one is very hungry.
  • As soon as he walked in the door, he announced, "I'm famished! What's for dinner?"

Adjective

1. extremely hungry
   • they were tired and famished for food and sleep
   • a ravenous boy
   • the family was starved and ragged
   • fell into the esurient embrance of a predatory enemy