thirsty

adjective \ ˈthər-stē \

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of thirsty

thirstier; thirstiest

1 a : feeling thirst

b : deficient in moisture : parched

thirsty land

c : highly absorbent

thirsty towels

2 : having a strong desire : avid

thirsty for knowledge

—

thirstiness

play \ˈthər-stē-nəs\ noun

See thirsty defined for English-language learners

See thirsty defined for kids

Examples of thirsty in a Sentence

The salty food was making her thirsty.
struggling to survive in that hot and thirsty climate

Recent Examples of thirsty from the Web

The driver dropped us off, muddy and thirsty, to wait in line at the Japanese Garden.

— lizzy acker, OregonLive.com, "How (not) to get lost in Forest Park," 17 Apr. 2018
For the past year or so, television has been engaged in a quiet bid to resurrect the decade of flannel, as executives address ratings woes by packaging Clinton-era characters for nostalgia-thirsty audiences.

— steven zeitchik, chicagotribune.com, "Many TV executives are trying to follow 'Roseanne' down the path of 1990s revivals, but they'll face a lot of pitfalls," 13 Apr. 2018
As part of this effort, high-ranking administration officials have been pitching U.S. gas to energy-thirsty customers in South Korea, Japan, Eastern Europe — and other nations in Africa.

— dino grandoni, Washington Post, "The Energy 202: Trump administration is trying to sell natural gas to African countries president disparaged," 17 Jan. 2018
While almonds are a comparatively thirsty crop, farmers say there are others that require more water per pound of production.

— dale kasler, phillip reese and ryan sabalow, sacbee, "California almonds, partly blamed for water shortage, now dropping in price | The Sacramento Bee," 30 Jan. 2016
That logging no longer happens, but the Android messenger app remains thirsty for your data--and the Facebook help article meant to explain these requests still doesn’t explain why the app wants into your calendar.

— rob pegoraro, USA TODAY, "After you delete old Facebook apps, take a hard look at Uber and Snapchat settings," 3 Apr. 2018
San Antonio bartenders have already poured nearly $100 million worth of beer, wine and cocktails to thirsty drinkers this year, state records show.

— joshua fechter, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio drinkers have spent more than $98 million on alcohol so far in 2018," 3 Apr. 2018
Lines of people were reported as pubs opened at 7 a.m. to serve alcohol, thanks to legislation that overturned the 1927 ban on pubs opening on Good Friday in time for thirsty locals and tourists.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Irish pubs open on Good Friday for 1st time in 90 years," 30 Mar. 2018
Opening Day at Comerica Park is a big event for downtown bars and restaurants, which will be primed to welcome hungry and thirsty Detroit Tigers fans.

— susan selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Places to eat, drink and party on Detroit Tigers Opening Day," 28 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of thirsty

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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thirsty Synonyms

Phrases

champing at the bit, chomping at the bit;

THIRSTY Defined for English Language Learners

thirsty

adjective

Definition of thirsty for English Language Learners

: having an uncomfortable feeling because you need something to drink : feeling thirst
: needing water
: feeling a strong desire or need for something