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
  • Asked about plans for a parade, Army spokesman Steve Warren said Thursday that no final decisions have been made. Col. Dave Butler, another Army spokesman, added that the Army is excited about the plans for its anniversary.
    Lolita C. Baldor, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
  • And for toddlers who aren’t always amendable to sitting down at the dinner table, anything that might help them get excited about mealtimes is going to be a win for parents, too.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • Most people – even the most avid birders and aviculturists – have never seen nor even heard about these Neotropical parrots, and to the best of my knowledge, they are not kept in any zoo collections.
    GrrlScientist, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Comments As an avid shopper, my closet is often overflowing with clothes, which makes packing for trips a precarious experience.
    Bria McNeal, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Taylor, a charming extrovert who can make anyone feel comfortable, is eager to help Avery find new friends and learn to flirt with women.
    Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Confidence in core institutions is badly shaken, and many Americans are eager for leaders who can restore stability and uphold fundamental rights.
    Marc Lester, Baltimore Sun, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Millay, an assiduous reader and enthusiastic quoter of poetry, was surely familiar with their work.
    A.O. Scott, New York Times, 1 May 2025
  • Once the team saw concrete productivity improvements, skepticism shifted to enthusiastic adoption.
    Vivek Vishal, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • Managing change proactively rather than reactively means staying hungry, staying humble and staying committed to the long-term vision—especially when things are going well.
    Robert Balentine, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The Kings didn’t push to create offense, with only 15 third-period shot attempts (only six of which went on goal) and instead focused on fending off a hungry Oilers team.
    Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Another reason people put off going to bed is to avoid feeling anxious or restless, said James Rowley, MD, a sleep medicine expert at Rush University Medical Center and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
    Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Professionally, Xavier is anxious about future tax exposure from his deferred compensation.
    Brian Lasher, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • If that sounds like thirsty work, Irishman Colm Dalton has just the ticket.
    Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025
  • After ignoring the warning, Remmick succeeds at transforming them, ultimately recruiting them into his blood thirsty clan.
    Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Elon Musk, who was one of President Donald Trump's most ardent supporters in the lead-up to his election victory, did not donate any money toward his inauguration, a Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing shows.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Some political observers hope that Trump single-handedly inflicting deep financial pain on the world might break the spell among his most ardent supporters.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 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 7 May. 2025.

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