# feast or famine

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/feast-or-famine
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A situation in which something is always either extremely abundant or in extremely short supply.

## Examples

- My freelance work is always feast or famine.
- The restaurant business is feast or famine, with busy weekends followed by very quiet weekdays.
- The life of a seasonal farmer is often one of feast or famine, depending entirely on the unpredictable nature of the annual harvest.

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