avid

American  

[av-id] / ˈæv ɪd /

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 sometimesof ).

   avid for pleasure; avid of power.

   Synonyms:

   rapacious, covetous, insatiable, hungry

   Antonyms:

   loath, disdainful

---

avid British  

/ 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

---

Synonym Usage

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.

Pop Culture

—Avid: A non-linear video editing system developed by Avid Technology, Inc. Best known in the film and video production industry are the Media Composer and Pro Tools video and sound editing software. The Avid editing system was used to edit films such as Iron Man 2, 2012, and Hurt Locker, among many others. Pro Tools was used for the sound edit and mix of Avatar. —AVID: acronym for Advancement Via Individual Determination. A teaching system designed to help underachieving students with high academic potential prepare for entrance to colleges and universities. The system was developed in 1980 by Mary Catherine Swanson, an English teacher from San Diego. —AVID: acronym for American Veterinary Identification Devices. These are microchips that are permanently implanted in a pet to be used for the animal's identification.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• avidly
  adverb
• avidness
  noun
• unavid
  adjective
• unavidness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of avid

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

Explanation

Avid usually means very eager or enthusiastic. If you're an avid reader, it means you read as much as you can, whenever you can. But this adjective can also mean wanting something so much that you can be thought of as greedy. For example, a person can be avid for success or power. Avid is from French avide, from Latin avidus, from avere "to desire, crave."

Example Sentences

He also remains avid to explore the unexpected, such as learning to fly, which he says he loves.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

This idea that well-compensated employees become avid consumers who, in a virtuous cycle, support profitable companies, guided U.S. industry for much of the 20th century.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

An avid singer in her school choir, she avoided detection of her progressive hearing loss by closely following the director.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Lewis Slavin, a photographer and avid birdwatcher from Yeovil, said he gets "a buzzy feeling" when he sees them.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Second, My Lord 02-06, if I may call him so, is an avid sportsman, and in the wilds of New-York he shall find plenty of scope for unusual chases and kills.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

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