ATHIRST Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

athirst

adjective

ə-ˈthərst

Definition of athirst

as in excited

showing urgent desire or interest was athirst for any news at all about family members serving in the war zone

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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

As her wedding quickly approached, Natalie recalls being excited but also emotional at wearing the dress in front of her grandmother.

— Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
Like Knicks fans watching the greatest comeback in NBA playoff history excited.

— Craig Carton OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of excited

Adjective

And the audience for those games skews young, with more than half of all avid soccer viewers aged 18-to-34, a demographic highly sought by advertisers and one that suggests NBC’s numbers could stay strong for years.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Pretti was an avid mountain biker, and the two had been planning to go biking together once the weather turned warm.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of avid

Adjective

Bell, however, couldn’t be more enthusiastic for the opportunity.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
The other clock hiding inside it The TC001 has attracted an enthusiastic home-automation following because it can be used with AWTRIX, an open-source firmware and ecosystem designed around small LED matrix displays.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of enthusiastic

Adjective

Time will tell how immediate Kroenke’s impact will be, though the Angels are eager to find out.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
But lawmakers of both parties are eager to avoid another impasse and would prefer to get back to their districts to campaign before the election.

— Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of eager

Adjective

Inter Miami is hungry to get back on track after the recent slump.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
The continent's sweltering summer has meanwhile boosted demand for air conditioning and other energy-hungry appliances at a time when demand for gas, widely used for Europe's heating and cooking needs, naturally falls.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of hungry

Adjective

If anyone in your party is thirsty, the Joe Klass Water Stop is nearby.

— Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Add the cost of tires, consumables, a thirsty engine, and the fact that cars are all so ludicrously expensive to begin with these days, and soon the whole thing starts to look unsustainable.

— Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of thirsty

Adjective

Now, the paragraph on the website describes Alvarado as an ardent supporter of bipartisanship who is focused on affordability.

— Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Mazloum announced the yeti repair — as well as the return of fan-favorite characters Dreamfinder and Figment to Epcot in Florida and an overhaul of Tomorrowland in California — to some of Disney's most ardent fans on Saturday.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of ardent

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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atheists

athirst

athletic

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“Athirst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/athirst. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of athirst

adjective

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