thirst

1 of 2

noun

ˈthərst

Synonyms of thirst next

: a sensation of dryness in the mouth and throat associated with a desire for liquids

also : the bodily condition (as of dehydration) that induces this sensation

: a desire or need to drink

: an ardent desire : craving, longing

a thirst for success

thirst

2 of 2

verb

thirsted; thirsting; thirsts

intransitive verb

: to feel thirsty : suffer thirst

: to crave vehemently and urgently

thirsted for revenge

thirsting

after justice

thirster noun

Choose the Right Synonym for thirst

long, yearn, hanker, pine, hunger, thirst mean to have a strong desire for something.

long implies a wishing with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain.

longed for some rest

yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing.

yearned for a stage career

hanker suggests the uneasy promptings of unsatisfied appetite or desire.

always hankering for money

pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible.

pined for a lost love

hunger and thirst imply an insistent or impatient craving or a compelling need.

hungered for a business of his own

thirsted for power

Examples of thirst in a Sentence

Noun his thirst for knowledge is evident in his book-filled house an unquenchable thirst for travel that has led her to the far corners of the globe Verb they have always thirsted for a more affluent lifestyle than their salaries would allow

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Noun

The attacks demonstrated the group's thirst for vengeance against those who intervened against its initial rise in Iraq and Syria over a decade ago. —

David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025 His work is driven by curiosity, passion, and a thirst for experiences through adventure and travel… Read More Allen Farmelo Allen Farmelo is Robb Report's digital watch editor. —

Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2025

Verb

As the Bears work to make the hiring official and introduce Johnson to a fan base thirsting for good news, here are five questions for Bears President Kevin Warren, general manager Ryan Poles and their new coach. —

Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025 Beer drinkers are thirsting for nonalcoholic brews in North Carolina, Axios' Katie Peralta Soloff reported earlier this month. —

Laura Barrero, Axios, 18 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for thirst

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English þurst, þrust, þirst, þrist, going back to Old English þurst, going back to Germanic *þurstu- (whence also West Frisian toarst "thirst," Old Saxon thurst, Old High German thurst, durst, beside an n-stem in Old Norse þorsti "thirst," Gothic þaurstei), going back to Indo-European *tr̥s-t- (whence also Old Irish tart "dryness, drought, thirst"), nominal derivative from a verbal base *ters- "dry up, become thirsty," whence Gothic gaþaursana "withered" (accusative plural participle, from a strong verb *gaþairsan "to wither," if not from gaþaursnan "to dry up, wither"), Greek térsomai, térsesthai "to become dry, dry up"; also from a present-tense formation *tr̥s-i̯e-, Old English þyrred "dried out," Gothic þaursjan "to be thirsty," Sanskrit tṛṣyati "(s/he) is thirsty"; from a causative *tors-éi̯e- Old High German derren "to make dry," Old Norse þerra, Latin torreō, torrēre "to heat so as to dry, scorch, parch, (of food) roast, bake," Sanskrit tarṣáyati "(s/he) makes thirsty," Hittite taršant- "drying"

Note: The noun thirst has lost etymological -u- in favor of the -i- spelling of the verb. Variation between -u- and -i- is already evident in Middle English, at a time when the vowels would still generally have been distinguished, along with metathetic variants with the vowel following r. The spelling thurst is not infrequent in the seventeenth century, though Samuel Johnson's dictionary (1755) only acknowledges thirst.

Verb

Middle English þirsten, þristen, thrusten "to suffer from thirst, be thirsty (in impersonal me thirsteth "I am thirsty"), going back to Old English þyrstan, going back to Germanic *þurstjan- (whence also Old Saxon thurstian "to be thirsty," Old High German thursten, dursten, Old Norse þyrsta), verbal derivative of *þurstu- "thirst" — more at thirst entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of thirst was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Thirst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thirst. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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Kids Definition

thirst

1 of 2 noun

ˈthərst

: a feeling of dryness in the mouth and throat that accompanies a desire for liquids

also : the bodily condition (as of dehydration) that causes thirst

: a strong desire to drink

: a strong desire : craving

a thirst for fame

thirst

2 of 2 verb

: to feel thirsty

: to have a strong desire : crave

Medical Definition

thirst

noun

ˈthərst

: a sensation of dryness in the mouth and throat associated with a desire for liquids

also : the bodily condition (as of dehydration) that induces this sensation

Last Updated: 23 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences

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thirst

noun

verb

Synonyms

Examples of thirst in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near thirst

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition