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Synonym Chooser

How is the word avid distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of avid are anxious, athirst, eager, and keen. While all these words mean "moved by a strong and urgent desire or interest," avid adds to eager the implication of insatiability or greed.

avid for new thrills

When might anxious be a better fit than avid?

Although the words anxious and avid have much in common, anxious emphasizes fear of frustration or failure or disappointment.

anxious not to make a social blunder

Where would athirst be a reasonable alternative to avid?

The meanings of athirst and avid largely overlap; however, athirst stresses yearning but not necessarily readiness for action.

athirst for adventure

When could eager be used to replace avid?

While in some cases nearly identical to avid, eager implies ardor and enthusiasm and sometimes impatience at delay or restraint.

eager to get started

When is it sensible to use keen instead of avid?

The synonyms keen and avid are sometimes interchangeable, but keen suggests intensity of interest and quick responsiveness in action.

keen on the latest fashions

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of avid Residents who live near a fishing location, spend a lot of time near the water or are avid boaters are encouraged to get involved. Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2025 Daniel Lobo was described in his obituary as an avid baseball player who had a love for music, with oldies and bachata being his favorites. Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2025 Sarah, who is an avid diver, has also written two books about her experiences: Noodle Loses Dad, a 2020 children’s book about loss, grief and blended families, and her memoir, A Time for Truth: My Father Jason and My Search for Justice and Healing, released in February 2025. Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 10 May 2025 The smoke travels up almost 100 feet of steel and copper tubes to the chimney and the world beyond. 21h ago / 1:45 AM PDT Share Panini, water and a telescopic folding stool: how to survive the conclave Alexander Smith Reporting from Vatican City For the avid smokewatcher, preparation is key. Katie Primm, NBC news, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for avid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avid
Adjective
  • And fans also will be eager to watch the team play again.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2025
  • Against this backdrop of uncertainty, Dawkins is eager to get back on the court.
    Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2025
Adjective
  • But for his versatility, the variety in his attacking link-up and movement, and his ever-presence in a tough City season, there is reason to be excited for what lies ahead.
    Thom Harris, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • Artist Tina Birkhoff said this was her first year displaying her work at the event and was very excited to be at the show over the weekend.
    David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
Adjective
  • What the greedy developers are trying to do burns me to no end.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 May 2025
  • The beloved ruler was supposed to care about the wellbeing of his people, but the noblemen beneath him were greedy and indifferent.
    David Hambling, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Adjective
  • We are primed to value privileged or secret wisdom, vulnerable to flattery and suggestion, and enthusiastic about major leaps forward in scientific potential.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2025
  • Her personality will be a great addition to a loving, supportive and enthusiastic family.
    The Star, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Top Gun is streaming on Paramount+ and Prime Video, while Top Gun: Maverick is streaming on Paramount+. ‘Willow’ (1988) Val Kilmer stars as the mercenary Madmartigan opposite his then-real-life wife, Joanne Whalley as Sorsha, the daughter of the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) in Willow.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
  • And how to be optimally developmental and transactional in an increasingly mercenary environment.
    Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But a groundswell of protest art was answering the call with a new kind of ardent feeling that damned the false piety and hypocrisy of homophobic Christian doctrine.
    Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
  • Most were, like O’Neil, young and ardent admirers of the actor, who at that point was between movies and had a different kind of creative itch to scratch.
    Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • The comedy-drama follows a Gen Z content creator who returns to her ancestral home seeking viral material, only to encounter her deceased brother’s ghost while dealing with avaricious relatives.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2025
  • This nation state, my home, is built on a quagmire of lies sold to the young as truths; sold to the insecure as truths; sold by the avaricious, the power-hungry, the conceited, the overwhelmingly white and male.
    Christine Winter, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • President Donald Trump's administration is also keen to increase energy exports to India to address a U.S. trade deficit of well over $45 billion in 2024.
    Danish Manzoor Bhat, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
  • Gustavo Mejia, the Mandarina experiences manager who runs the operation, played 53 matches last year and hosted professional players as well as beginners keen to learn.
    Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2025

Cite this Entry

“Avid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avid. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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