famishing
Dying of hunger
Famishing is the present participle of famish, meaning to suffer or cause to suffer extreme hunger.
While the base verb famish is rarely used today, famishing persists as an emphatic way to describe intense hunger: I'm famishing—when's dinner?
It functions similarly to starving in casual speech, though with a slightly more dramatic or old-fashioned flavor.
Suffering extreme hunger
- ravenousExtremely hungry, insatiable
- emaciatedAbnormally wasted from hunger
- gauntLean from deprivation
- skeletalOf or like bones
malnourished · underfed · wasted · hollow · faint · weak · lightheaded · dizzy
Extremely hungry, insatiable
- voraciousExtremely eager to consume
- insatiableImpossible to satisfy
- desperateDriven by urgent need
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
longing · aching · thirsting · greedy · eager · impatient · craving · appetite
Extreme nutritional deprivation
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
- wantTo desire something
- needEssential requirement
lack · privation · destitution · poverty · insufficiency · dearth · paucity · hunger
Driven by urgent need
- direExtremely serious or urgent
- acuteIntensely severe or perceptive
- criticalExpressing disapproval or importance
- pressingRequiring immediate attention
immediate · urgent · imperative · extreme · severe · intense · overwhelming · unbearable
starving
Suffering extreme hunger
- ravenousExtremely hungry, insatiable
- emaciatedAbnormally wasted from hunger
- gauntLean from deprivation
skeletal · malnourished · underfed · wasted · hollow · faint · weak · lightheaded · dizzy · shaky
ravenous
Extremely hungry, insatiable
- voraciousExtremely eager to consume
- insatiableImpossible to satisfy
- desperateDriven by urgent need
yearning · longing · aching · thirsting · greedy · eager · impatient · craving · appetite · hunger
starvation
Extreme nutritional deprivation
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
- wantTo desire something
need · lack · privation · destitution · poverty · insufficiency · dearth · paucity · hunger · malnutrition
desperate
Driven by urgent need
- direExtremely serious or urgent
- acuteIntensely severe or perceptive
- criticalExpressing disapproval or importance
pressing · immediate · urgent · imperative · extreme · severe · intense · overwhelming · unbearable · consuming
gnawing
Persistent biting action
growling · emptiness · aching · hollow · discomfort · weakness · nausea · dizziness · irritability · distraction