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 ]

v. i. 1. To die of hunger; to starve. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To suffer extreme hunger or thirst, so as to be exhausted in strength, or to come near to perish. [ 1913 Webster ]

You are all resolved rather to die than to famish? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To suffer extremity from deprivation of anything essential or necessary. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish. Prov. x. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. State of being famished. [ 1913 Webster ]