famished

Adjective

WordNet 3.0

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”Synonyms: ravenous sharp-set starved esurient

Famish \Fam"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Famished; p. pr. & vb. n. Famishing.] [OE. famen; cf. OF. afamer, L. fames. See Famine, and cf. Affamish.]

1.To starve, kill, or destroy with hunger. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

2.To exhaust the strength or endurance of, by hunger; to distress with hanger. [1913 Webster]

And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread.— Cen. xli. 55.[1913 Webster]

The pains of famished Tantalus he'll feel.— Dryden.[1913 Webster]

3.To kill, or to cause to suffer extremity, by deprivation or denial of anything necessary. [1913 Webster]

And famish him of breath, if not of bread.— Milton.[1913 Webster]

4.To force or constrain by famine. [1913 Webster]

He had famished Paris into a surrender.— Burke.[1913 Webster]