thirsty
Americanadjective
-
feeling or having thirst; craving liquid.
-
needing moisture, as land; parched; dry or arid.
the thirsty soil.
-
eagerly desirous; eager.
thirsty for news.
-
causing thirst.
Digging is thirsty work.
-
Slang.
-
eager for attention or approval.
thirsty celebrities.
-
desperate for affection, sex, or sexual attention.
-
adjective
-
feeling a desire to drink
-
dry; arid
the thirsty soil
-
(foll by for) feeling an eager desire
thirsty for information
-
causing thirst
thirsty work
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of thirsty
First recorded before 950; Middle English thirsti, Old English thyrstig; akin to Dutch dorstig, German durstig, Sanskrit tṛṣita “thirsty,” from the Proto-Indo-European root ters-, tṛs- “dry,” from which Latin terra (from unattested tersa ) “(dry) land” derives
Explanation
When you're thirty, you crave liquids. Thirsty people want a drink. To be thirsty is to feel like you need to drink something. People tend to get more thirsty on very hot days or during exercise, when a lot of their body's fluid is being sweated out. Eating can also make you thirsty, and so can waking up in the morning. The word thirsty comes from the Proto-Indo-European root ters, or "dry."
Vocabulary lists containing thirsty
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.
He was powered by a vigorous social media presence and an angry electorate thirsty for change.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
His universally acclaimed “Summer of Soul” dropped in June 2021, offering deep refreshment to thirsty concertgoers marooned in a barren season for live music.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
He says that many of them were thirsty, starving or had rotten feet after journeying into Evros.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
"You can see the soldiers standing behind us for the past seven, eight days. They are hungry and thirsty but defending the country strongly," the 70-year-old added.
From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026
He come with us, and ask many men who are rough and hot; these be better fellows too when they have been no more thirsty.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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.
