thirstier; thirstiest
1
a
: feeling thirst
hungry and thirsty
b
: deficient in moisture : parched
thirsty land/soil
c
: highly absorbent
thirsty towels
d
: causing thirst
thirsty work
2
a
: having a strong desire for something : avid
thirsty for knowledge
b
informal : feeling or showing a strong desire for attention, approval, or publicity (as on social media)
… the brands did what was inevitable: They began to tweet about the question, hoping to grab some of that attention for their own. For a thirsty brand, the only thing better than April Fools' Day is a hugely viral meme.Abby Ohlheiser
thirstiness noun

Examples of thirsty in a Sentence

The salty food was making her thirsty. struggling to survive in that hot and thirsty climate
Recent Examples on the Web Temperatures were in the high 90s, so my nursing toddler was frequently thirsty. Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 22 Nov. 2023 These genius self-watering bulbs automatically know when to water thirsty plants, making keeping indoor plants alive easy for green thumbs and novices alike. Poppy Morgan, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023 Parker and Hamilton are hitting the road on a national tour, and D.C. is apparently thirsty for their special brand of celeb gossip — the show has moved from the Miracle Theatre to the larger Howard Theatre. 8 p.m. $35. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023 And while the bottled-water business doesn’t use nearly as much groundwater as the nation’s thirstiest industries, like agriculture, the pressure on bottlers is building as awareness grows of the stress that intensive pumping can place on local water supplies. Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023 Doctors in the United Kingdom and Australia promote a type 1 diabetes awareness campaign called the 4 T’s, Dr. Mucci says: toilet, thirsty, tired, thinner. Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 1 Nov. 2023 Obviously, the comments are more thirsty than helpful. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 26 Oct. 2023 But in states like Kentucky, Tennessee, and especially Texas, there are some very thirsty angels. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Sep. 2023 Between 1950 and 2020, Arizona’s population alone grew from about 750,000 to more than 7 million, bringing booming cities and thirsty industries. Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 17 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thirsty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English thirsti, thursty, þristi, going back to Old English þurstig, þyrstig, from þurst thirst entry 1 + -ig -y entry 1 (with parallel formations in Middle Dutch dorstich, Old High German durstac, tursteg)

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of thirsty was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thirsty

Cite this Entry

“Thirsty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thirsty. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

thirsty

adjective
thirstier; thirstiest
1
a
: feeling thirst
b
: needing moisture
thirsty land
2
: having a strong desire
thirsty for knowledge
thirstily
-stə-lē
adverb

Medical Definition

thirsty

adjective
thirstier; thirstiest
: feeling thirst

More from Merriam-Webster on thirsty

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