thirst
thirst — noun
1. the dry, uncomfortable feeling in your mouth and throat that makes you want to d
the dry, uncomfortable feeling in your mouth and throat that makes you want to drink something.
After hiking for hours in the desert, Yuna finally stopped to quench her thirst.
collocation: quench / ease / satisfy thirst
The doctor explained that extreme thirst can be a sign of dehydration.
Megan took a long drink from her water bottle to ease her thirst.
A bowl of cold watermelon slices helped reduce the children's thirst on a hot day.
- need to drink
more descriptive and less idiomatic; used in formal or medical contexts
- dryness
focuses on the physical sensation rather than the desire
常見錯誤
2. a powerful and eager wish for something such as knowledge, justice, freedom, or
a powerful and eager wish for something such as knowledge, justice, freedom, or adventure that goes beyond a simple want.
Christopher's thirst for knowledge led him to study three different languages at once.
collocation: thirst for [abstract noun]
The protest was driven by the people's thirst for justice and fair treatment.
Tanvi's thirst for adventure took her to remote villages in the mountains of Peru.
Diego's thirst for success in architecture led him to visit old buildings every weekend and study their design details.
- apathy
complete lack of interest or desire
- indifference
lack of concern about something
用法筆記
Always followed by 'for' + an abstract noun. Common collocates include 'knowledge', 'power', 'freedom', 'justice', 'adventure', 'recognition'. Not used for everyday wants (e.g. 'a thirst for a new phone' would sound exaggerated).
常見錯誤
thirst — verb
1. to feel a physical need to drink because your body lacks water — used mainly in
to feel a physical need to drink because your body lacks water — used mainly in formal or literary English rather than everyday speech.
After the long walk under the midday sun, the travellers thirsted for cold water.
The old poem describes a soldier who thirsts as he lies wounded on the battlefield.
literary register; intransitive verb
Yasmin's throat was so dry that she thirsted constantly throughout the night.
In the novel, the castaway thirsts for days before finding a fresh stream.
- be thirsty
the everyday, neutral equivalent; far more common than the verb 'thirst'
- need water
descriptive rather than idiomatic; focuses on the practical need
文法句型
thirst for something
thirst after something
用法筆記
Limited to formal, literary, or historical English. In everyday conversation, speakers use 'be thirsty' instead ('I'm really thirsty after that run'). The verb is far less common than the noun.
常見錯誤
2. to have an extremely strong, eager desire for something abstract that gives life
to have an extremely strong, eager desire for something abstract that gives life meaning or purpose, such as knowledge, peace, or power.
The young musician thirsted for recognition and practised her violin every single day.
In 1960s Lagos, Nkechi and her team thirsted for new methods to teach adults to read.
Ayesha thirsted after wisdom and sought advice from elders in every village she visited.
Takeshi thirsted only for promotion until he missed his daughter's first school play and began to rethink his goals.
- crave
more common in everyday English; can be used for both abstract and concrete things
- yearn for
more emotional and passive; often used with things one cannot easily obtain
- hunger for
similar intensity and register; interchangeable in many contexts
- disdain
to strongly dislike or look down on something
- be indifferent to
to have no interest in something at all
文法句型
thirst for something
thirst after something
用法筆記
Nearly always paired with 'for' or 'after'. The object must be an abstract quality or goal — 'knowledge', 'power', 'justice', 'peace', 'wisdom'. Never used for physical drink or everyday objects. Even more literary than the physical verb sense (verb/1).