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.

Cultural note: The three great famines of the Edo period:

  • 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

Related Words

Related: 飢餓(きが) (starvation)
Related: 凶作(きょうさく) (crop failure)
Related: 餓死(がし) (death from starvation)
Compare: 食糧難(しょくりょうなん) (food shortage)
Compare: 食糧不足(しょくりょうぶそく) (food shortage)
general
Added 2026.1.13 19:53 · Revised 2026.10.7 23:03
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