Synonym Chooser

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
  • According to recent research from the global consumer research platform, GWI, 60% of consumers are excited for the further development of AI tools.
    Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • In the comment section, fans were excited to see an intimate piece of her life.
    Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • As avid travelers know, Away luggage recently became available at Amazon, and now, the rarely-ever-on-sale brand is sporting some big markdowns in honor of Prime Day.
    Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
  • Both West and Fuentes were avid supporters of Trump who repeatedly had made antisemitic remarks.
    Josh Meyer, USA Today, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • The 33-year-old state assemblyman has ensnared a wide net of seasoned billionaires and enthusiastic young activists, presented as a regular New Yorker who lived in Africa as a child.
    Alexandra Bregman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Diamond and her husband were enthusiastic volunteers since the 1990s for a local historic preservation organization, Historic Boulder, Inc.
    Colleen Slevin, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • Comprised mostly of phishing, but also malware, threats, the domains in question have been created by cybercriminals seeking to benefit from the high media profile of Prime Day and the anticipated flood of consumers eager to grab a bargain.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • Undeterred, Gustav offers the role, written for Nora, to the young Hollywood star Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), dropping the eager American actress right in the middle of the complicated Borg family dynamics.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • At the time, Alexx was an independent creative hungry to make his mark, while Weezy was a rising voice in podcasting still figuring out her next steps.
    Essence, Essence, 11 July 2025
  • Wall Street is hungry for the Snack Wrap: The return of the popular McDonald’s menu item has fueled a stock market surge for the fast food chain.
    Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • My expectation is that the veteran who has been in the Octagon against some of the heaviest hitters in the UFC’s heavyweight division is going to be anxious to test the young man who only has 35 seconds of UFC fight time to his name.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • The choice of name was coincidental but Lee and Kirby were anxious to avoid any connection to radical politics.
    Ekow Eshun July 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • Wilted leaves are the first sign your plant is thirsty.
    Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2025
  • Just don't overthink it — water when your plant looks thirsty, and ease off when the soil feels too moist.
    Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Adjective
  • Mamdani emerges from the Democratic primary far stronger than even his most ardent supporters had hoped, winning virtually all economic groups in the Democratic Party except the very poor and the very rich, both of whom supported Andrew Cuomo.
    Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 25 June 2025
  • Inter Miami defeated Porto 2-1 and gave this controversial tournament something even its most ardent detractors could celebrate.
    Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 20 June 2025
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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Cite this Entry

“Athirst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/athirst. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

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