thirst
Americannoun
-
thirsts
plural
-
a sensation of dryness in the mouth and throat caused by need of liquid.
-
the physical condition resulting from this need, in any of various degrees.
They almost died of thirst.
-
strong or eager desire; craving.
a thirst for knowledge.
verb (used without object)
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thirsts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
thirsted,
past participle, past
-
thirsting
present participle
-
to feel thirst; be thirsty.
-
to have a strong desire.
noun
-
a craving to drink, accompanied by a feeling of dryness in the mouth and throat
-
an eager longing, craving, or yearning
a thirst for knowledge
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
thirstsimple
-
thirstssimple
-
have thirstedperfect
-
has thirstedperfect
-
am thirstingprogressive
-
are thirstingprogressive
-
is thirstingprogressive
-
have been thirstingperfect progressive
-
has been thirstingperfect progressive
Past
-
thirstedsimple
-
had thirstedperfect
-
was thirstingprogressive
-
were thirstingprogressive
-
had been thirstingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of thirst
before 900; Middle English thirsten (v.), Old English thyrstan, derivative of thurst (noun); cognate with Dutch dorst, German Durst, Old Norse thorsti, Gothic thaurstei; noun has -i- from the v. or from thirsty; see toast 1
Explanation
Thirst is the sensation of needing or wanting to drink something. Use the same word whether you're talking about your thirst for lemonade on a hot day or the dire thirst of someone lost in a desert without water. At its most serious, thirst can be compared to starvation: "The water shortage is leading to extreme thirst in the poorest parts of the country." You can also use this word for a much milder need, like your cousin's seemingly endless thirst for root beer. Figuratively, to thirst for something is to desire it strongly: "Her thirst for knowledge means she stays up late reading the encyclopedia."
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.
See Examples For:
Yet scientists are discovering that this everyday drink may be doing far more in the body than quenching thirst.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
The thirst Gibbon described is timeless and unquenchable; his monumental history of the Roman Empire could hardly exist without it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
It also said that “mild to moderate dehydration can build gradually across the day for most people, often without realizing it, and thirst is not always a reliable signal.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
They are very different forwards but what is identical about both of them is their thirst for goals.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Samir was dizzy with thirst at every oasis.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
He thirsts for the kind of ultimate supremacy and luxury enjoyed by monarchical figures of the past, who built the likes of Egyptian temples and Versailles, leaving lasting marks on their national landscapes.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
And one which has a big job ahead: Taking the food orders and quenching the thirsts of millions of visitors who will flock to the Paris Olympics this July.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 24, 2024
The half-inch-long insects are destructive agricultural pests because of their unquenchable thirsts and splashy bathroom habits: when nature calls, these bugs launch droplets of their watery pee and create puddles of disease-causing waste.
From Scientific American ● Feb. 28, 2023
“It is a big, bold change, the kind of change America thirsts for.”
From Washington Times ● Aug. 9, 2021
They all rested like that, absolutely quiet, drinking more slowly now that their thirsts had been quenched, eyes vaguely fixed on shadow-casting objects downhill.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Suddenly, Team USA was down to one out and the baseball world got the matchup it thirsted for.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2023
And yet we found shelter within it, we pondered our lives and the lives of others, thirsted, slept.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 19, 2022
While the Islamic State sought hegemony among jihadist groups and thirsted for territorial expansion, Al Qaeda’s affiliates showed increasing readiness to cooperate with other groups and little appetite for occupation.
From New York Times ● Aug. 1, 2022
England’s expanding colonies always thirsted for more Indian lands, but the French claimed vast territories without fully occupying them.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 18, 2018
The taste was no less foul, but water was water, and all of them thirsted.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
I saw thousands of Saudi men and women, young and old, thirsting for the sort of recreation that until very recently they had to travel abroad to enjoy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025
"That two undocumented migrants were the only ones who physically risked themselves to help the victim of a pack thirsting for horror leaves much food for thought and a series of lessons," Mayor Rey said.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2025
And sometimes the changes come like a whirlwind, dividing parishes between those thirsting for a more reverent Catholicism and those who feel their spiritual home has been taken from them.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024
In an alternate universe, one where this city would be still thirsting for a World Series appearance, the 30-year-old Harper isn’t Philadelphia’s favorite transplant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2022
We slipped in and out of wakefulness, wincing at the soreness in our muscles, and thirsting for more of that tart lemonade.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
