Definition of avidnext
1
2

Synonym Chooser

How is the word avid distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of avid are anxious, athirst, eager, and keen. While all these words mean "moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest," avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed.

avid for new thrills

When might anxious be a better fit than avid?

Although the words anxious and avid have much in common, anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment.

anxious not to make a social blunder

Where would athirst be a reasonable alternative to avid?

The meanings of athirst and avid largely overlap; however, athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action.

athirst for adventure

When could eager be used to replace avid?

While in some cases nearly identical to avid, eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint.

eager to get started

When is it sensible to use keen instead of avid?

The synonyms keen and avid are sometimes interchangeable, but keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action.

keen on the latest fashions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of avid Creason was an avid car enthusiast drawn to anything with an engine or ample horsepower, according to his obituary. Elissa Jorgensen, Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026 Celebrity stylist and avid vintage collector Mark Avery lends his golden touch to Cat Apparel. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 23 Mar. 2026 The avid runner plans to run the Tokyo Marathon next March to earn her second Six Star Medal, a highly coveted award for marathoners who complete each of the world’s majors. Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 22 Mar. 2026 The latest campaign has drawn criticism from even the most avid supporters of President Vladimir Putin. Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 22 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for avid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avid
Adjective
  • But Pineda brings the matter up many times, and is eager to defend himself.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2026
  • With Archer’s amicable exit, the Princess of Wales is eager for the focus to be on her work rather than her outfits.
    Laura Scafati, Vanity Fair, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Organizers said sign-ups have been especially enthusiastic in suburban areas with high-profile congressional races like Scottsdale, Arizona; Langhorne, Pennsylvania; East Cobb, Georgia; and here in northern New Jersey’s 11th district, which holds a special election April 7.
    Steve Peoples, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
  • So enthusiastic that they were invited back to perform at the 2025 MusicCares, which honored the Grateful Dead.
    George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • America does not belong to strongmen, greedy billionaires, or those who rule through fear.
    Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Mar. 2026
  • People were making so much money, being greedy, but a squall was coming, one that could morph into a Cat 5 hurricane any minute.
    , CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • White is excited about his future, and plans to perform at this year's Minnesota State Fair.
    Tony Peterson, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
  • But the nail in the coffin for her family was the bike course, which her niece was most excited for.
    Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • In many other places, the fighters have moved into other mercenary formations.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
  • At the height of its power, the Russian mercenary outfit known as the Wagner Group numbered tens of thousands of soldiers who were dispatched to Ukraine, Syria, and several African countries.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • His grandfather had been an ardent Zionist who, in 1975, sold his house, on Long Island, and moved to Beersheba, a city in southern Israel.
    Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Some of the silence is designed to amplify the missing, the previously ignored, the co-opted, the terrorized, the gaslighted, and excluded voices of the country’s most ardent supporters of a multiracial democracy.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • There’s a quasi-heist theme to The Christophers, which revolves around an acclaimed artist (McKellen), who has long since stopped making new work, and his avaricious children (Gunning and Corden) who try to enlist Coel to complete some of their dad’s unfinished paintings.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Henwick’s Ruth, opposite Margaret Qualley’s avaricious Julia, represent a fork in the road for Becket.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Gaston’s interest in horses predated his relationship with Kathrin; her predecessor as his girlfriend was a keen rider.
    Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
  • It’s found success among Iranians who aren’t as keen on the clerical government.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2026

Cite this Entry

“Avid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avid. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on avid

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster