Refers to a year marked by misfortune, poor crops, or famine. Often used in historical or literary contexts.
In bad years, many farmers suffered from hunger.
凶年 is a year of poor harvest and hardship, the direct opposite of 豊年, a year of abundant harvest.
Compound of 凶 (bad fortune) and 年 (year). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the meaning is transparent from the kanji.