avid

adjective

av·id | \ˈa-vəd

Definition of avid

1 : characterized by enthusiasm and vigorous pursuit : very eager and enthusiastic avid readers/fans an avid golfer

2 : desirous to the point of greed : urgently eager : greedy avid for publicity/success

Other Words from avid Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym The Finer Points of Avid More Example Sentences Learn More about avid

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Choose the Right Synonym for avid

eager, avid, keen, anxious, athirst mean moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest. eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint. eager to get started avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed. avid for new thrills keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action. keen on the latest fashions anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment. anxious not to make a social blunder athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action. athirst for adventure

The Finer Points of Avid

The original and now relatively unfamiliar sense of avid, “desirous to the point of greed,” developed logically from its root in Latin, avēre (meaning “to long for”). It appears in such phrases as “avid of fame” and “avid for details,” expressions we are more likely to encounter in formal writing than in speech. More common today is the word’s somewhat weakened and ameliorated (that is, “made better,” or given a more positive connotation) meaning “extremely enthusiastic.” This is the sense regularly used of people who have embraced some hobby or pursuit (such as avid readers, gardeners, or knitters).

Examples of avid in a Sentence

He is an avid admirer of horror movies. They took an avid interest in politics. some of the newspaper's most avid readers

Recent Examples on the Web

Todd was and avid fan of sports – especially the Florida Gators, Atlanta Braves and Oakland Raiders. — OrlandoSentinel.com, "Deaths in Central Florida: 7/14," 14 July 2018 Interns, volunteers and more avid fishermen can assist with line and tackle and retrieval of the fish. — Sheryl Devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Give fishing a try at annual Gurnee event," 3 July 2018 An avid runner, Kavanaugh lists his two Boston Marathon finishes on his court website biography: 3:59:45 in 2010 and 4:08:36 in 2015. — Mark Sherman, BostonGlobe.com, "Born inside the Beltway, Brett Kavanaugh is part of the GOP legal elite," 10 July 2018 An amateur radio operator (WA4YDK), Elliot was a computer science professor, a Cooper City City Commissioner & avid rollerblader. — Sun-Sentinel.com, "Deaths in South Florida: 7/14," 14 July 2018 Corey was an avid surfer and loved riding his motorcycle. — Orlando Sentinel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Deaths in Central Florida: 7/12," 12 July 2018 My grandmother was an avid gardener and also canned her own jams and jellies. — Jennifer Rude Klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Table for 1: For solo diners, cooking at home offers many perks," 12 July 2018 With an avid meat-and-potatoes rock audience and three big-time rock stations — WWWW-FM, WRIF-FM and WABX-FM — Detroit was primed for a group like Journey in the late '70s. — Brian Mccollum, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit still has open arms for Journey as band arrives with Def Leppard," 12 July 2018 William Hagood Bellinger, a former BellSouth vice president, mentor, avid golfer and lifelong champion of Georgia Tech, died July 1. — Nancy Badertscher, ajc, "Hagood Bellinger, 77: Business leader, admired mentor loved Tech, golf," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'avid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.