avid

[ av-id ]

adjective

1. showing great enthusiasm for or interest in:

   an avid moviegoer.

   Synonyms: fanatic, zealous, dedicated, devoted, keen, ardent, enthusiastic

   Antonyms: reluctant, apathetic, indifferent

2. extremely desirous; eager; greedy (often followed by for or sometimes of ):

   avid for pleasure; avid of power.

   Synonyms: rapacious, insatiable, hungry, covetous

   Antonyms: loath, disdainful

avid

/ ˈævɪd /

adjective

1. very keen; enthusiastic

   an avid reader

2. postpositive; often foll by for or of eager (for); desirous (of); greedy (for)

   avid for revenge

Derived Forms

• ˈavidly, adverb

Other Words From

• av·id·ly adverb
• av·id·ness noun
• un·av·id adjective
• un·av·id·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of avid¹

First recorded in 1760–70; from French avide, from Latin avidus, equivalent to av(ēre) “to crave” + -idus adjective suffix; -id ⁴

Word History and Origins

Origin of avid¹

C18: from Latin avidus, from avēre to long for

Synonym Study

Avid, eager, keen all share the sense of strongly desirous. Avid suggests a desire akin to greed, so strong as to be insatiable: driven by an avid need for fame and recognition. Eager implies a desire that is strong and impatient but less than overpowering: eager to try his hand at new tasks. Keen carries a sense of zest and active, alert desire: an amateur painter, ever keen to try new techniques.

Example Sentences

Favorite books can be displayed vertically stacked in between, which makes this a great and thoughtful choice for avid readers.

From Popular-Science

Gellert, 48, is an avid climber and backcountry snowboarder who has ridden all over the world.

From Outside Online

Previously, Johnson, an avid rock climber, had been vice president of technical outdoor for the company, leading groups that built products for everything from trail running to snowboarding.

From Outside Online

Political scientist Salma Mousa of Stanford University, an avid soccer fan who grew up in the Middle East, wondered if the popular sport could bring those communities together.

From Science News

The Sunday in late April that the avid runner became ill started like any other and included a seven-mile run.

From Science News

He grew up both a computer geek in the early days of video games and an avid record collector.

From The Daily Beast

Now, just as avid an art collector, Jay Z spoke about the meeting of cultural worlds (and rapped about them) in “Picasso Baby”.

From The Daily Beast

All this time, even back when he was studying at Purdue, Pragnell was an avid home-brewer.

From The Daily Beast

Describing by biographers as an avid writer of letters, little of his correspondence appears available to public view.

From The Daily Beast

Fryberg was an avid hunter, according to his Facebook posts.

From The Daily Beast

The shout of approval showed how avid they were for some direct expression of their accumulated resentment.

From Project Gutenberg

The uneventful lives they led year after year made men and women alike avid for anything of the nature of news or incident.

From Project Gutenberg

The funny thing is that Wagner never renounced anything: to the end he was greedy, avid of life.

From Project Gutenberg

What a break-off, leaving the gasping reader in a state of choking suspense, of avid, ungratified curiosity!

From Project Gutenberg

There was a meagre, passionless dulness about the aspect, though at times it quickened into a kind of avid acuteness.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• ardent
• devoted
• eager
• fanatical
• fervent
• hungry
• impatient
• insatiable
• keen
• passionate
• ravenous
• thirsty
• voracious
• zealous