thirsty

adjective

ˈthər-stē 

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

ˈthər-stē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of thirsty

• dry

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

The water district has been paying residents to rip out their thirsty grass and replace it with landscaping or trees, banned most new commercial fountains and water features, and limited the amount of water golf courses may use. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

The mouse is a little bit hungry, a little bit thirsty, and watching his friends take this milkshake. — Quanta Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026

The trade infuriated fans and likely delighted the MLB executives and owners who are thirsty to implement a hard salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement. — Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Within two weeks, later symptoms may include anxiety, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, being very thirsty but panicked by fluids, having lots of saliva and aggressive behavior like thrashing and biting. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026

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

Rhymes for thirsty

• bloodthirsty

Kids Definition

thirsty

adjective

ˈthər-stē 

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

ˈthər-stē 

thirstier; thirstiest

: feeling thirst