AVID Synonyms: 148 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

avid

adjective

ˈa-vəd

Definition of avid

as in greedy

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in enthusiastic

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 His obituary described him as an avid golfer, fisherman and gardener who is survived by two sons, his mother, two brothers and his dog, Merle. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 Melton was a Mountain West All-Academic pick who today is an avid chess player, moving pawns on his phone or going toe-to-toe with Justin Verlander in the middle of the clubhouse. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 In another Instagram post, Becker introduced herself as an avid book reader who has read more than 130 books since last January. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026 Kneeling beside the fallen buck, Charles, an avid trophy bowhunter, ran his hands over the gigantic rack. — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for avid

Recent Examples of Synonyms for avid

Adjective

Through its own websites, the mysterious group has been portraying itself as vigilantes out to rein in greedy video game developers.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
One of Nader’s grandsons, Shah Rukh, was tortured by a greedy court eunuch named Agha Muhammad to force him to reveal the location of the invaluable diamond.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of greedy

Adjective

Bell, however, couldn’t be more enthusiastic for the opportunity.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
The other clock hiding inside it The TC001 has attracted an enthusiastic home-automation following because it can be used with AWTRIX, an open-source firmware and ecosystem designed around small LED matrix displays.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of enthusiastic

Adjective

Netflix has worked assiduously to burnish its reputation as a home for advertisers seeking to align themselves with its popular programs and eager to avoid the traditional model of deploying typical 30-second commercials.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars invested into their respective football teams by eager boosters, both SMU and Texas Tech have jumped ahead of everyone else in this state for the best view of UT and A&M’s backsides.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of eager

Adjective

On the opposite sideline, Trimble Tech Head Coach MK Hamilton entered the season with a more experienced roster and was excited about the leadership his veteran players bring.

— Riley Ledesma, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
The Atlanta native is excited to carry his dreams and the family name forward.

— PJ Green August 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of excited

Adjective

However, the calculation changes if Apple sends you a mercenary spyware notification.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Lee joins after inking a deal to star in Tygo, a Korean-language entry in the franchise centered on his former child soldier turned mercenary, which is in post-production.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of mercenary

Adjective

Now, the paragraph on the website describes Alvarado as an ardent supporter of bipartisanship who is focused on affordability.

— Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Mazloum announced the yeti repair — as well as the return of fan-favorite characters Dreamfinder and Figment to Epcot in Florida and an overhaul of Tomorrowland in California — to some of Disney's most ardent fans on Saturday.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of ardent

Adjective

Played by a Colman Domingo who is done up to look the most wax figurine of them all in a shellacking of makeup, prosthetics, and colored contacts, Joe is always either giving an avaricious open-mouthed leer or a cold-eyed glare.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
There’s a quasi-heist theme to The Christophers, which revolves around an acclaimed artist (McKellen), who has long since stopped making new work, and his avaricious children (Gunning and Corden) who try to enlist Coel to complete some of their dad’s unfinished paintings.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026

Definition of avaricious

Adjective

Star Arnold Schwarzenegger was keen to do a sequel, but Cameron was busy with other projects, including Aliens in 1986 (another killer sequel).

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Some keen advice from an industry survivor like Paltrow on how to laugh off the haters could come in handy.

— Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of keen

Cite this Entry

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“Avid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avid. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of avid

adjective

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to avid

Must 'Avid' Mean 'Greedy'?

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

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