飢饉(ききん)

ききん
noun
famine
1. famine; crop failure; starvation
A widespread scarcity of food, typically caused by drought, war, or economic collapse, leading to mass hunger and death.
旱魃(かんばつ)により大(だい)飢饉(ききん)が発生(はっせい)した。
A great famine occurred due to the drought.
飢饉(ききん)で多(おお)くの人(ひと)が命(いのち)を落(お)とした。
Many people lost their lives in the famine.
世界(せかい)では今(いま)も飢饉(ききん)に苦(くる)しむ地域(ちいき)がある。
There are still regions in the world suffering from famine.

HISTORICAL FAMINES IN JAPAN:

  • 享保(きょうほう)の大(だい)飢饉(ききん) (Kyōhō famine, 1732-1733)
  • 天明(てんめい)の大(だい)飢饉(ききん) (Tenmei famine, 1782-1788)
  • 天保(てんぽう)の大(だい)飢饉(ききん) (Tenpō famine, 1833-1839)

KANJI NOTE: 飢(き) (hunger) + 饉(きん) (starving). Both kanji relate to food shortage.

RELATED WORDS:

  • 飢餓(きが) (starvation, hunger)
  • 凶作(きょうさく) (crop failure)
  • 食糧(しょくりょう)危機(きき) (food crisis)
  • 餓死(がし) (death from starvation)

MODERN CONTEXT: Famines continue to occur globally, often due to conflict, climate change, or economic factors.

Related Words

Related: 飢餓(きが) (starvation)
general
Added 2026.1.13 19:53 · Revised 2026.2.4 11:29
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