Appetite Definition & Meaning

American

British

Idioms

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms appetite American [ap-i-tahyt] / ˈæp ɪˌtaɪt /

noun

1. a desire for food or drink.

   I have no appetite for lunch today.

   Synonyms: thirst, hunger, longing Antonyms: satiety

2. a desire to satisfy any bodily need or craving.

   Synonyms: wish, inclination, hunger, longing Antonyms: satiety

3. a desire or liking for something; fondness; taste.

   an appetite for power; an appetite for pleasure.

   Synonyms: zest, gusto, relish, thirst, hunger, longing Antonyms: satiety

appetite British / əˈpɛtɪtɪv, ˈæpɪˌtaɪtɪv, ˈæpɪˌtaɪt /

noun

1. a desire for food or drink

2. a desire to satisfy a bodily craving, as for sexual pleasure

3. (usually foll by for) a desire, liking, or willingness

   a great appetite for work

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 appetite Idioms

1. see whet one's appetite

Other Word Forms

• appetitive adjective

Etymology

Origin of appetite

1275–1325; Middle English appetit (< Anglo-French ) < Latin appetītus natural desire, equivalent to appetī- (variant stem of appetere; appetence ) + -tus suffix of v. action

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.

It will be a major test of public investors’ appetite for exposure to the hedge fund manager’s empire.

From Barron's

And then on top of that, to have this appetite where he clearly is just eating all the time, burying his feelings in that, he’s very connected and then disconnected to his body.

From Los Angeles Times

Stock markets are tanking, bond yields are soaring and risk appetite is firmly in retreat.

From Barron's

Stock markets are tanking, bond yields are soaring and risk appetite is firmly in retreat.

From Barron's

Stock markets are tanking, bond yields are soaring and risk appetite is firmly in retreat.

From Barron's

Related Words

• craving
• demand
• fondness
• greed
• hunger
• inclination
• longing
• lust
• passion
• penchant
• propensity
• stomach
• taste
• thirst
• weakness
• willingness
• yearning
• zeal
• zest

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.