avid

adjective

av·​id ˈa-vəd 

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

avidly adverb

avidness noun

Did you know?

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).

Synonyms

• eager
• greedy
• mercenary
• avaricious
• acquisitive

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

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

Her obituary stated that Halbach was also a volleyball coach and an avid traveler. —Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025

Not only is her pick from the beloved legacy brand a staple in vanities everywhere, but the shade itself has its share of avid fans. —Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025

The study underscores the need for better and more targeted public health messaging, particularly to address misconceptions held by avid drinkers. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025

No wonder, perhaps, that an audience for his remarkable body of fiction has not kept up with him—avid though his readership once was. —Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French or Latin; French avide, from Latin avidus, from avēre to desire, crave; akin to Welsh ewyllys desire, Old Irish con-oí he protects

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for avid

• gravid

Kids Definition

avid

adjective

av·​id ˈav-əd 

1

: having so much desire for something as to be greedy

avid for attention

2

: very eager : enthusiastic

an avid football fan

avidity

ə-ˈvid-ət-ē

a-

noun

avidly

ˈav-əd-lē

adverb

avidness noun