appetite

noun

ap·​pe·​tite ˈa-pə-ˌtīt How to pronounce appetite (audio)
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 adjective

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.
With his opaque history and sources of wealth, his super-powerful friends and his immoral appetites, Epstein became the perfect avatar for our at-home Hollywood heroism. Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 19 July 2025 In the past several years, as appetites for true crime have increased and murder rates in U.S. cities have decreased, Wolf has moved into the unscripted space, producing a bunch of true-crime shows for the likes of Oxygen and A&E. John J. Lennon, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2025 Mamdani's surprising primary win reflects a growing appetite for left-leaning economic populism and signals a major shift within the party. Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025 Beyond those two, though, other members have not expressed any appetite for easing before the September meeting. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 19 July 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Appetite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appetite. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

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 adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on appetite

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