appetite

noun

ap·​pe·​tite ˈa-pə-ˌtīt 

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 

adjective

Synonyms of appetite

• hunger
• stomach
• craving

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

The luteal phase covers days 15 through 28, when progesterone dominates, appetite climbs, energy drops and PMS symptoms peak in the days before menstruation. —Allison Palmer updated June 13, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026

What the Science Supports and What’s Still Unproven Hormonal shifts in appetite, energy and sleep quality across the cycle are real and well documented. —Allison Palmer updated June 13, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2026

The appetite for this kind of self-care is real. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026

The success wiped away a week of anxiety over whether the market had the appetite to digest the biggest initial public offering in history. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 13 June 2026

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

Phrases Containing appetite

• hearty appetite
• lose one's appetite
• ravenous appetite
• whet one's appetite

Rhymes for appetite

• acolyte
• aconite
• allanite
• alunite
• amberlite
• ammonite
• amorite
• amphitrite
• analyte
• anchorite
• andesite
• anhydrite

Kids Definition

appetite

noun

ap·​pe·​tite ˈap-ə-ˌtīt 

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 

: any of the instinctive desires necessary to keep up organic life

especially : the desire to eat

appetitive

-ˌtīt-iv 

adjective