Synonym Chooser

How is the word athirst distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of athirst are anxious, avid, eager, and keen. While all these words mean "moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest," athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action.

athirst for adventure

When might anxious be a better fit than athirst?

The synonyms anxious and athirst are sometimes interchangeable, but anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment.

anxious not to make a social blunder

How do avid and eager relate to one another, in the sense of athirst?

Avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed.

avid for new thrills

In what contexts can eager take the place of athirst?

The meanings of eager and athirst largely overlap; however, eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint.

eager to get started

When would keen be a good substitute for athirst?

In some situations, the words keen and athirst are roughly equivalent. However, keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action.

keen on the latest fashions

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for athirst
Adjective
  • However, fishermen need not get excited, for these lakes contain very little fish life except carp.
    Kay Johnson, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Ludacris is as excited as Fast & Furious fans are to find out details on the franchise's final film.
    Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Scheffler took the next three months off and, as an avid Dallas Cowboys fan, suffered through the NFL season.
    Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 13 Feb. 2025
  • Many times, Eng’s patients were extremely healthy: vegetarians, marathon runners, avid swimmers.
    Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Advertisers seemed eager to evoke a smile or recognition, and then get off the stage.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
  • The Chiefs are trying to become the first NFL team ever to win three Super Bowls in a row, and the Eagles are eager to stop them and avenge their 2023 loss.
    NPR Staff, NPR, 9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • His message was met with enthusiastic cheers from the crowd that followed him.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Some of the comedian's followers were enthusiastic about his video.
    Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • New York got an L&L in 2004 and lost it again about a decade later; in the years since, a hungry person in this town wanting plate-lunch flavors had few options.
    Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2025
  • The Food for Peace program allows farmers to sell their crops to the government which then distributes the food to feed the hungry abroad.
    Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Socially anxious and snobby, Victoria is dedicated to keeping her three children on the same affluent life path she's followed.
    Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025
  • That is a disconcerting, even chilling prospect for sources in the news division, who see the legendary house of Murrow and Cronkite caught in the middle as controlling Paramount Global shareholder Shari Redstone is anxious to close the transaction.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The Latino diaspora was thirsty for a new sound that helped speak to their new urban environment; sort of like reggaetón has become for younger generations.
    Angel Diaz, Billboard, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Rest if tired, hydrate if thirsty, and cool down if hot. Position Practice safe body positioning while gardening.
    The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • In their posh Palm Springs home, Polly and Lyman Wyeth (at Cygnet, played by Rosina Reynolds and Alan Rust) are ardent Republicans.
    David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025
  • Friends and family remember Stephanie and Roger as extremely devoted parents and ardent supporters of Cory’s budding skating career.
    Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near athirst

Cite this Entry

“Athirst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/athirst. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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