avid

adjective

ˈa-vəd How to pronounce avid (audio)
Definition of avidnext
1
as in eager
having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions stared at the array of jewels with an avid glint in his eye

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excited
showing urgent desire or interest an avid baseball card collector

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Give any of the avid Prime members in your life a gift card to stock up on whatever their heart desires! —StyleCaster, 8 Apr. 2025 Jenna Blough Jenna Blough is an avid camper and fan of western deserts. —Jenna Blough, Outside Online, 8 Apr. 2025 Richard was an avid tennis player and one of his friends offered a suggestion that might stop Oskar from staring at the fan. —Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025 Outside of the office, Mr. Ratcliffe enjoys being home with his family, is an avid gardener, and enjoys playing with his three children and three dogs. —Chris Gallagher, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for avid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avid
  1. eager
  2. excited
  3. greedy
  4. enthusiastic
  5. mercenary
  6. ardent
  7. avaricious
  8. keen
Adjective
  • In addition, stubbornly high interest rates are prompting institutional investors to offload their holdings in these prime spaces, while luxury companies are eager to take advantage of once-in-a-generation opportunities, and lock in properties for the long term.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • And Trump has been eager to expand the tech industry’s US footprint and cement America as a leader in artificial intelligence.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of eager
Adjective
  • But the Devils are a bit of a mess thanks to injuries, which makes this matchup hard to get too excited over.
    — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • So, when the opportunity to visit Tanzania arose, I was intrigued and excited to embark on this journey.
    — Ronny Maye, Essence, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of excited
Adjective
  • Bulls make money, bears make money, pigs get slaughtered Cramer said the market action punished investors who’ve stayed negative, as well as short sellers and hedge funds that got greedy in the past few days.
    — Russell Leung, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
  • There are also a number of Native American legends in which buzzards are portrayed as greedy and deceptive compared with other large birds.
    — Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of greedy
Adjective
  • Prince William's enthusiastic soccer celebration with Prince George went viral on social media as the pair experienced joy at their favorite team taking the lead followed by a heart breaking final score.
    — Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Whitmer's response to the meeting wasn't as enthusiastic.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of enthusiastic
Adjective
  • And how to be optimally developmental and transactional in an increasingly mercenary environment.
    — Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The prominent credit-card swiper offers 15 minutes for the high price of $15, and the show follows up on the Gemstones’ mercenary shamelessness later when someone working the telethon phone bank asks for a donor’s routing number.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of mercenary
Adjective
  • The United States, the most vocal and ardent opponent of reform, has formally left the WHO, but its pressure no doubt will be felt.
    — Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
  • The project was first fundraised by Critical Role’s ardent fanbase, who shelled out more than $11.3 million on Kickstarter to bring a 10-episode season to life.
    — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of ardent
Adjective
  • 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
  • Pearce plays Van Buren as hungry and avaricious even in his kinder moments, a man of immense wealth whose primary desire is to own more and more.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
Definition of avaricious
Adjective
  • In footage shared with Newsweek by Ring, the super smart pooch can be seen quite literally knocking on the door with his paw, evidently keen to be let back into the house.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Cricket administrators in Seattle had also been keen, despite not yet having built the requisite infrastructure for the Orcas, the city’s MLC side.
    — Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of keen

Browse Nearby Words

aviator sunglasses
avid
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Cite this Entry

“Avid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avid. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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