AVID Synonyms: 148 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'avid' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of avid are anxious , athirst , eager , and keen . While all these words mean "moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest," avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed. // avid for new thrills

Q: When might 'anxious' be a better fit than 'avid'?

Although the words anxious and avid have much in common, anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment. // anxious not to make a social blunder

Q: Where would 'athirst' be a reasonable alternative to 'avid'?

The meanings of athirst and avid largely overlap; however, athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action. // athirst for adventure

Q: When could 'eager' be used to replace 'avid'?

While in some cases nearly identical to avid , eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint. // eager to get started

Q: When is it sensible to use 'keen' instead of 'avid'?

The synonyms keen and avid are sometimes interchangeable, but keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action. // keen on the latest fashions

avid

adjective

ˈa-vəd

Definition of avid

as in greedy

having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions stared at the array of jewels with an avid glint in his eye

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in enthusiastic

showing urgent desire or interest an avid baseball card collector

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word avid distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of avid are anxious, athirst, eager, and keen. While all these words mean "moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest," avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed.

avid for new thrills

When might anxious be a better fit than avid?

Although the words anxious and avid have much in common, anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment.

anxious not to make a social blunder

Where would athirst be a reasonable alternative to avid?

The meanings of athirst and avid largely overlap; however, athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action.

athirst for adventure

When could eager be used to replace avid?

While in some cases nearly identical to avid, eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint.

eager to get started

When is it sensible to use keen instead of avid?

The synonyms keen and avid are sometimes interchangeable, but keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action.

keen on the latest fashions

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of avid Nemacolin is beloved by families looking for an active getaway, as well as avid golfers. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 An avid runner and golfer fit and trim enough to pass for a man a decade younger, the silver-haired Claire was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in 2015 when what looked like a harmless spot on his lip turned out to be cancerous. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 Social media had taken care of that — her daughter had become an avid follower of the tradwife aesthetic, and my friend was not happy about it. — Christina Wyman, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026 Richard Manoogian, a Detroit industrialist and avid art collector, died at 90 on Friday. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for avid

Recent Examples of Synonyms for avid

Adjective

John Wayne and Gary Cooper, like Ken-san, often played anachronistic loners from a disappearing Arcadia that was being destroyed by hard-nosed modernizers—greedy bankers, railway owners, big-city politicians.

— Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Katz said the rapid and steep rate movements give investors a chance to buy from the fearful and sell to the greedy.

— Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of greedy

Adjective

Support from the faculty was enthusiastic, and Louise worked closely with professors in many departments to ensure the museum’s exhibitions complemented their classes.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
In that raucous public square known as Reddit, anti-Trumpers are planning protests, evidence that Trump should not expect an overwhelmingly enthusiastic welcome in the traditionally red Sunflower State.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of enthusiastic

Adjective

Tech companies are eager for vast tracts to build data centers that can be as large as 70 football fields, and Townsite could set a precedent for similar projects on federal property with more than a dozen others in the planning stages.

— Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
The shores of Clearwater Beach are packed block-to-block with resorts booked up by eager beachgoers, but the JW Marriott might just be the one to convince you to hang around a little bit longer before launching into Clearwater’s ombré coast.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of eager

Adjective

The Fear Economy Pew Research found in August 2026 that 52% of Americans are more concerned than excited about AI, up from 37% in 2021.

— Bob Pearson, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Upon their arrival, the couple stopped to greet excited fans, several of whom had brought them flowers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of excited

Adjective

While his associate scans microfiche, Reacher gives the first of many, many, many unnamed mercenary characters the ol’ Giles Corey special.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Its leader, Sergei Mironov, 73, once gained headlines by posing with a symbol of brutality — a sledgehammer given to him by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late Wagner mercenary leader shortly before his failed 2023 mutiny.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of mercenary

Adjective

One fascination of this brave book—brave in its disclosures but more so in its demands, its spiritual rigor, and its ardent intellectualism—lies in watching the eloquent, intelligent sufferer steadily entrapping herself.

— James Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Turns out Ferrari’s ardent fan base is curiously conservative.

— Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of ardent

Adjective

Played by a Colman Domingo who is done up to look the most wax figurine of them all in a shellacking of makeup, prosthetics, and colored contacts, Joe is always either giving an avaricious open-mouthed leer or a cold-eyed glare.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
There’s a quasi-heist theme to The Christophers, which revolves around an acclaimed artist (McKellen), who has long since stopped making new work, and his avaricious children (Gunning and Corden) who try to enlist Coel to complete some of their dad’s unfinished paintings.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026

Definition of avaricious

Adjective

There's good reason families are increasingly keen to cut college costs.

— Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
The textual literalism that dominates the action is shown up by a few moments of keen-eyed observation—above all, in a calm but mighty reveal in Alberto’s episode.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of keen

Cite this Entry

Style

“Avid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avid. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of avid

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to avid

Must 'Avid' Mean 'Greedy'?

Cite this Entry

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jilt

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

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