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
  • The prospect of an electric AMG supercar is something worth getting excited about.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Create awesome emails that make your dream customers excited to open, ready to buy.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • An avid dancer and photographer, Dondé likes to incorporate his artistic passions into his bar offerings, often naming creative libations after his most beloved tunes and entertainers.
    Kristin Tablang, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
  • The victim’s 15-year-old daughter Alisha told The News her father was an avid fisherman.
    Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing for national security.
    Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Businesses weren’t hiring as much, folks weren’t as eager to quit and those without jobs were staying on the sidelines for longer.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN, 6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The crypto space had reason to be enthusiastic following the election of President Trump, who largely embraced the sector.
    JJ Kinahan, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • At two years of age, Jiggs, a persistent and enthusiastic deer runner, was banished from the pack.
    Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • And in 2023, Jimmy Kimmel anticipated that his audience might be hungry, and stashed snacks underneath their seats (with attendant donations to the L.A. Food Bank).
    Justine Fisher, People.com, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Chelsea’s ownership viewed them all as young, smart, hungry, motivated people at the right point of their respective career arcs.
    Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • While many companies rapidly integrate AI, this data reveals a growing disconnect: employees are increasingly anxious about its impact.
    Julian Hayes II, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • But raising cash remains a challenge for some, with investors anxious about startups courting enough customers for healthy returns, Pershad said.
    Liang Lei, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Frigid temperatures outside and dry heat inside can send your complexion on a roller coaster, leading to dry, thirsty skin.
    Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
  • The 1970s were littered with thirsty men in the booth.
    Richard Deitsch, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • In just a month, the Trump administration’s assault on the federal workforce has managed to push even an ardent reformer like Jones to surrender.
    Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
  • For over a century, every global crisis has sparked a debate in the United States between two classical schools of geopolitical thought, pitting idealists, ardent supporters of foreign intervention, against realists, who mistrust lofty crusades.
    Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 26 Feb. 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 12 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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