famish Hear it!

famish Definition

fam·ish (famis̸h)

transitive verb, intransitive verb

  1. to make or be very hungry; make or become weak from hunger
  2. Obsolete to starve to death

Etymology: ME famishen, altered (after verbs ending in -ish-: see -ish) < famen, aphetic < OFr afamer < VL *affamare < L ad, to + fames, hunger: see famine

famish Related Forms

fam·ish·ment noun

famish Usage Examples

Object

  • man: In this instance the fowl and ham and the ale were a feast in the mouth of a famishing man.
  • people: Abu ' Obeida brought 4000 beasts of burden laden with corn from Syria, which he 154 distributed himself among the famished people.
  • wolf: The famished wolf went crazy, burrowing, Munching, slurping deep into the horse Till only its rump was showing.
  • road: The famished road celebrates the African way of seeing the world.

Modifying Another Word

  • so: My neighbor asked me if I had been out building something, to get so famished.
  • half: Having then reached my normal state, I discovered that I was half famished with hunger.
  • absolutely: About mid-day we were absolutely famished again, and an S.O.S. was sent to H.Q. for sandwiches and hot drinks.