thirsty

adjective

ˈthər-stē 

thirstier; thirstiest

1

a

: feeling thirst

hungry and thirsty

b

: deficient in moisture : parched

thirsty land/soil

c

: highly absorbent

thirsty towels

d

: causing thirst

thirsty work

2

a

: having a strong desire for something : avid

thirsty for knowledge

b

informal : feeling or showing a strong desire for attention, approval, or publicity (as on social media)

… the brands did what was inevitable: They began to tweet about the question, hoping to grab some of that attention for their own. For a thirsty brand, the only thing better than April Fools' Day is a hugely viral meme.

—Abby Ohlheiser

thirstiness

ˈthər-stē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• arid
• droughty
• dry
• sere
• sear
• waterless

Examples of thirsty in a Sentence

The salty food was making her thirsty.

struggling to survive in that hot and thirsty climate

Recent Examples on the Web

Other than being thin and thirsty, the fox appeared to be in good health and was responding to treatment, the Bird Alliance said. —Kale Williams, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024

What’s more, dialysis is a thirsty procedure, using hundreds of liters of water for a single week’s treatment. —Carrie Arnold, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024

Foreign beer lovers have for years helped the Czech Republic keep its position as the world’s thirstiest nation. —Afp, Fortune Europe, 15 Oct. 2024

As the rest of the auto industry leans into the efficiencies and emissions reductions of turbocharging and electrification, Ferrari’s thirsty, if mellifluous, V12 is an anachronism, a kind of vaffanculo to climate climate crises. —Brett Berk, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English thirsti, thursty, þristi, going back to Old English þurstig, þyrstig, from þurst thirst entry 1 + -ig -y entry 1 (with parallel formations in Middle Dutch dorstich, Old High German durstac, tursteg)

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

thirsty

adjective

ˈthər-stē 

thirstier; thirstiest

1

a

: feeling thirst

b

: needing moisture

thirsty land

2

: having a strong desire

thirsty for knowledge

thirstily

-stə-lē

adverb

Medical Definition

thirsty

adjective

ˈthər-stē 

thirstier; thirstiest

: feeling thirst