ATHIRST Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'athirst' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of athirst are anxious , avid , eager , and keen . While all these words mean "moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest," athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action. // athirst for adventure

Q: When might 'anxious' be a better fit than 'athirst'?

The synonyms anxious and athirst are sometimes interchangeable, but anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment. // anxious not to make a social blunder

Q: How do 'avid' and 'eager' relate to one another, in the sense of 'athirst'?

Avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed. // avid for new thrills

Q: In what contexts can 'eager' take the place of 'athirst'?

The meanings of eager and athirst largely overlap; however, eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint. // eager to get started

Q: When would 'keen' be a good substitute for 'athirst'?

In some situations, the words keen and athirst are roughly equivalent. However, keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action. // keen on the latest fashions

athirst

adjective

ə-ˈthərst

Definition of athirst

as in excited

showing urgent desire or interest was athirst for any news at all about family members serving in the war zone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word athirst distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of athirst are anxious, avid, eager, and keen. While all these words mean "moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest," athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action.

athirst for adventure

When might anxious be a better fit than athirst?

The synonyms anxious and athirst are sometimes interchangeable, but anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment.

anxious not to make a social blunder

How do avid and eager relate to one another, in the sense of athirst?

Avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed.

avid for new thrills

In what contexts can eager take the place of athirst?

The meanings of eager and athirst largely overlap; however, eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint.

eager to get started

When would keen be a good substitute for athirst?

In some situations, the words keen and athirst are roughly equivalent. However, keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action.

keen on the latest fashions

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for athirst

Adjective

One player Nakase is excited to work with is someone her team was prepared to face on Friday night – Dallas star guard Paige Bueckers.

— Marisa Ingemi, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2026
This will also be its first year since 2024, when Latino Fest returned after a five-year break to excited crowds.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of excited

Adjective

Griffin is the daughter of Kimberly Griffin, a concessionaire at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and an avid reader of this newsletter.

— Adam Beam, AJC.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Most notably, banks and fintech companies have been first movers, looking to capitalize on younger, avid fanbases.

— Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 30 July 2026

Definition of avid

Adjective

After years of slapdash sequels and waning fandom, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise is handed over to an enthusiastic young director (Hannah Einbinder) for resurrection.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026
However, international observers fear that the deal, which Iran is uncharacteristically enthusiastic about, could concede to Tehran unprecedented authority to charge for transit through the strait.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of enthusiastic

Adjective

An international team of microbiologists, engineers, and physiologists was eager to understand how heat affects cilia, and whether this could explain different types of coral death.

— Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026
The company’s meeting rooms, named after video game characters, are buzzing with employees eager to enjoy the air-conditioning—a rare luxury in Paris.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of eager

Adjective

Meanwhile the family is growing increasingly hungry and grumpy with each other, as food runs low with no new signs of escape.

— William Earl, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026
Even Ramp's round was marketed as an AI story as much as a fintech one, with TechCrunch noting investors hungry for fintechs that carry one.

— Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of hungry

Adjective

And the more anxious students become about their career prospects, the more attractive banks and banking clubs become.

— Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
While Turkey and Pakistan, on the borders of the Middle East, have avoided significant direct attacks, both are anxious to calm conflicts that threaten their own security and economic health.

— Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of anxious

Adjective

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, Quanta Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of thirsty

Adjective

The first documentary, in fact, earned a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, driven largely by her most ardent followers.

— Blanche Marcel, Vanity Fair, 6 Aug. 2026
Helsinki and Jyväskylä provide the clearest and most manageable introduction for all but the most ardent students of architecture.

— David Nikel, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of ardent

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.

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atheists

athirst

athletic

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“Athirst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/athirst. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of athirst

adjective

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