famish

Meaning

Verb

• To starve (to death); to kill or destroy with hunger.
• To exhaust the strength or endurance of, by hunger; to cause to be very hungry.
• To kill, or to cause great suffering to, by depriving or denying anything necessary.
• To force, control, or constrain by famine.
• To die of hunger; to starve to death.
• To suffer extreme hunger or thirst, so as to be exhausted in strength, or to nearly perish.
• To suffer extremity from deprivation of anything essential or necessary.

Origin

• From Middle English famisshe, from famen, from Old French afamer. Compare affamish, famine. Cognate with Spanish hambre ("hunger").