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
  • There are so many people who are excited to have me back in some capacity as Superman.
    Charles Infosino, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Today, scientists are extremely excited about how AI can be used to predict the way molecules interact, transforming areas like drug discovery and materials science.
    Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Kyle, from Toronto, is an avid collector of older digital cameras.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Born in Sydney, Barning owned a construction company and was also an avid fisherman, having won many trophies at previous game fishing competitions, the coroner said.
    Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Lemonheads have played Cambridge parties to enthusiastic crowds of over a hundred people.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Over 2,500 enthusiastic Google reviews helped propel Ocean Reef Park to its top-tier designation.
    Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • So many seem eager to be rid of the labors of thought and expression—the very labors that define them as free and autonomous human beings—by ceding them to generative artificial intelligence.
    Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Wall Street has been eager to cash in on the technology that some believe could be as foundational as the smartphone or the internet, with AI playing a bigger role in everything from office work to health care and education.
    Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Europe has been hungry for a homegrown alternative to Starlink, which dominates the sector — the service has been vital to Ukrainian troops in the war against Russia, and fears of a possible shutdown accelerated Europe’s space ambitions.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2025
  • But, locally, even a temporary closure of CalFresh will push a flood of hungry people toward free food providers, a countywide network of roughly 600 food pantries and food banks.
    Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Some men avoid the gym or the beach altogether, wear baggy shirts year-round or feel anxious about intimacy.
    Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Ottosson says reading the script was an anxious experience in itself.
    Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • For example, antipsychotic drugs such as Zyprexa (olanzapine) can make a person extremely thirsty.
    Lauren O'Connor, Health, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The ladies are back with a fresh start, thirsty for power.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Trump met Milei at the White House two weeks ago, and the Argentine has emerged as one of the US leader’s most ardent supporters abroad.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The red carpet and awards ceremony celebrates footwear’s influential style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans.
    Katie Abel, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Athirst.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/athirst. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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