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
  • Julianne being available and excited, wanting to come and play in the sandbox; James, similarly.
    EW Staff, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • So, when the opportunity to visit Tanzania arose, I was intrigued and excited to embark on this journey.
    Ronny Maye, Essence, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • After an avid cyclist was killed in a hit-and-run during his morning commute last year, police in New Mexico were at a loss for who could have committed the crime.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
  • As an avid past user of the brand’s ball, Foley now finds himself in a full-circle moment as Maxfli’s latest brand ambassador, joining Lexi Thompson (LPGA) and Ben Griffin (PGA Tour).
    Michael LoRé, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • With rising incomes, a booming domestic travel sector and a government eager to improve the country’s tourism infrastructure, India is commanding unprecedented attention from the world’s most prominent hotel brands.
    Ronak D. Desai, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Trump is eager to avoid repeating some of the turnover that characterized his first term.
    Time, Time, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Although Lederman is enthusiastic about this business model, Frannexus isn’t in the business of convincing clients to buy franchises.
    Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2025
  • Grange leaders are enthusiastic about contributing to the Cruise Nights’ fundraising efforts for the Ramona Senior Center, Carlson said.
    Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But on the latest installation of Rolling Stone Recommends, the musician taps into the more feral feelings that come with playing competitive card games with friends, the idea of being monstrously hungry on Survivor, and recovering from watching David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2025
  • The Argentine manager told reporters that the Panamanians were hungrier.
    Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • As the end of the sale nears, the company running things becomes more and more anxious to sell as much of the merchandise as possible.
    Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Highlight your expertise—maybe that's handling anxious children or those with special needs.
    Ajay Prasad, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Don't plant them under a large, thirsty tree with lots of surface roots.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Even as commercial energy demand continues to grow, people are already seeing higher residential energy prices in some regions where thirsty technologies such as AI are taxing the grid.
    The Editors, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Freeing Prince Charming As an ardent feminist, Cavallo found writing Rebel Girls came so naturally to her that the entire book was written in four months.
    Ashleigh N. DeLuca, Parents, 27 Mar. 2025
  • The other nephew is still an ardent adherent to the cult and has gifted much of his substantial wealth to it.
    R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Athirst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/athirst. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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