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

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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 of avid

• 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

As previously reported by PEOPLE, both Kate and William are avid tennis fans who have attended Wimbledon numerous times over the years, and the princess is now patron of the All England Club. — Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026

Of course, avid Southern bakers will always have a bottle of Karo Syrup for pecan pies and other homemade candies. — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 12 July 2026

These sentences are part of a four-plus-page descriptive riff, one of many passages that lend the novel a teeming, avid opacity. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 July 2026

The future queen, who is also an avid tennis fan, opted for a double-breasted bright blue suit and styled her hair into a chic ponytail for the event. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 8 July 2026

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