thirst
Americannoun
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a sensation of dryness in the mouth and throat caused by need of liquid.
-
the physical condition resulting from this need, in any of various degrees.
They almost died of thirst.
-
strong or eager desire; craving.
a thirst for knowledge.
verb (used without object)
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to feel thirst; be thirsty.
-
to have a strong desire.
noun
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a craving to drink, accompanied by a feeling of dryness in the mouth and throat
-
an eager longing, craving, or yearning
a thirst for knowledge
verb
Other Word Forms
- thirster noun
- unthirsting adjective
Etymology
Origin of thirst
before 900; Middle English thirsten (v.), Old English thyrstan, derivative of thurst (noun); cognate with Dutch dorst, German Durst, Old Norse thorsti, Gothic thaurstei; noun has -i- from the v. or from thirsty; toast 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When your investigation can be derailed by a thirst for retweets, it was never about truth in the first place.
From Salon
I was so hungry I sucked on bits of straw, and then I was dying of thirst.
From Literature
Investors have been thirsting for new issues, and big names including SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic are readying debuts for later this year.
The next word, "fünf," suggests something countable, excluding abstract ideas such as love or thirst.
From Science Daily
"It's a blood sport, people do have a blood thirst to watch this sport," Malignaggi says.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
