Thirst
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 A sensation of dryness in the throat associated with a craving for liquids, produced by deprivation of drink, or by some other cause (such as fear, excitement, etc.) which stops the secretion of the pharyngeal mucous membrane. countable, uncountable
"We developed a great thirst during our hike."
- 2 strong desire for something (not food or drink) wordnet
- 3 The condition producing the sensation of thirst. countable, uncountable
"If you go out in the desert for long without water, the thirst can drive you mad."
- 4 a physiological need to drink wordnet
- 5 A want and eager desire (for something); a craving or longing. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"She had a real thirst for news and that greatly helped her career."
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- 6 Sexual lust. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"He had a thirst for her and she had the same for him."
- 1 To be thirsty. intransitive
"The people thirsted there for water."
- 2 have a craving, appetite, or great desire for wordnet
- 3 To desire vehemently. intransitive, usually
"I thirst for knowledge and education will sate me."
- 4 feel the need to drink wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"Our people thirst for independence."
Etymology
From Middle English thirst, thurst, from Old English þurst, from Proto-West Germanic *þurstu, from Proto-Germanic *þurstuz, from Proto-Indo-European *ters- (“dry”). Germanic cognates include Old High German thurst, Middle High German durst, German Durst, Old Saxon thurst, Old Dutch thursti, Middle Dutch dorst, dorste, Dutch dorst, Old Norse þorsti (Swedish törst, Icelandic þorsti, Danish tørst, Norwegian tørst). Indo-European cognates include Ancient Greek τέρσομαι (térsomai), Albanian djersë (“sweat”), Sanskrit तृष्णा (tṛṣṇā, “desire; thirst”), Sanskrit तृष्यति (tṛ́ṣyati), Latin terra, Latin torridus.
Related phrases
More for "thirst"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.