avid
Americanadjective
-
showing great enthusiasm for or interest in.
an avid moviegoer.
- Antonyms:
- reluctant, apathetic, indifferent
-
extremely desirous; eager; greedy (often followed by for or sometimesof ).
avid for pleasure; avid of power.
- Synonyms:
- rapacious, covetous, insatiable, hungry
- Antonyms:
- loath, disdainful
adjective
-
very keen; enthusiastic
an avid reader
-
(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
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."
Vocabulary lists containing avid
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Grade 9, List 4
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The Distance Between Us
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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.
So too does Wisconsin, whose senior U.S. senator, Ron Johnson, is an avid fan of anarcho-capitalist author Ayn Rand.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
Ramirez, an avid surfer, makes a point to visit those trucks whenever his schedule allows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Everton season-ticket holder Burnham is an avid sports fan and has backed several initiatives throughout his political career.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
That’s a boon for investors avid for capital returns, but a capital-allocation question for the company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
While she’s at Carville, Joey, an avid reader and writer, plans to finish high school.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
