appetite

noun

ap·​pe·​tite ˈa-pə-ˌtīt How to pronounce appetite (audio)
Synonyms of appetite
1
: any of the instinctive desires necessary to keep up organic life
especially : the desire to eat
He has a hearty appetite.
2
a
: an inherent craving
an insatiable appetite for work
b
: taste, preference
… the cultural appetites of the time …—J. D. Hart
appetitive
ˈa-pə-ˌtī-tiv How to pronounce appetite (audio)
adjective

Synonyms of appetite

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of appetite in a Sentence

He has a healthy appetite. Some common symptoms are tiredness, nausea, and loss of appetite. I had no appetite and couldn't sleep.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Switches made from wide-bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide could handle far higher voltages than silicon, and the EV industry’s appetite for these materials began driving the cost down just as a hungrier customer arrived. — Alex Pasternack, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 While this is a clear indication of the appetite for fashion among different body shapes, this alone does not incentivize his stance. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026 Russia's heavy bombardment of the power grid ahead of winter has been an annual feature of the war, aimed at wearing down Ukraine's appetite for the fight by denying civilians heat and running water. — Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026 Russia’s heavy bombardment of the power grid ahead of winter has been an annual feature of the war, aimed at wearing down Ukraine’s appetite for the fight by denying civilians heat and running water. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for appetite

Word History

Etymology

Middle English appetit, appetite "inherent drive or urge (in physiology), desire for food or drink, longing," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French appetit, apetite (also continental Old French apetit), borrowed from Latin appetītus "natural or instinctive desire," from appetī-, variant stem of appetere "to try to reach, have a natural desire for, seek to obtain, strive after" (from ap- ap- + petere "to direct one's course to, seek to obtain") + -tu-, -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at feather entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of appetite was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing appetite

Rhymes for appetite

See All Rhymes for appetite

Browse Nearby Words

appetiser
appetite
appetitious
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Appetite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appetite. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

appetite

noun
ap·​pe·​tite ˈap-ə-ˌtīt How to pronounce appetite (audio)
1
: a natural desire especially for food
2
: taste entry 2 sense 4
an appetite for adventure

Medical Definition

appetite

noun
ap·​pe·​tite ˈap-ə-ˌtīt How to pronounce appetite (audio)
: any of the instinctive desires necessary to keep up organic life
especially : the desire to eat
appetitive
-ˌtīt-iv How to pronounce appetite (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on appetite

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about appetite

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All