Appetite — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈa-pə-ˌtīt/ ap·pe·tite

Meaning & Definition of Appetite

Appetite (noun)

  1. any of the instinctive desires necessary to keep up organic life; especially, the desire to eat
  2. an inherent craving
  3. taste, preference

Appetite (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a need or desire for food

    "don't eat before dinner, as it will spoil your appetite"

    similar: belly, emptiness, famishment, hunger, munchies, stomach
    related: rapaciousness, rapacity, ravenousness, voraciousness, voracity, malnutrition, starvation, undernourishment, craving, sweet tooth, famine, fast, hunger strike, gluttony, gourmandism, greed, hoggishness
    opposite: inappetence
    near: fill, fullness, glut, repleteness, repletion, satiation, satiety, satisfaction, surfeit

  2. a strong wish for something

    "an appetite for adventure"

    similar: appetency, craving, desire, drive, hankering, hunger, itch, jones (slang), letch, longing, lust, passion, pining, thirst, thirstiness, urge, yearning, yen
    related: compulsion, impulse, impulsion, will, zeal, liking, love, taste, weakness, eagerness, impatience, want, wish, necessity, need, requirement, obsession, acquisitiveness, avarice, avariciousness, avidity, covetousness, cupidity, greed, greediness, rapaciousness, rapacity, cacoëthes, mania
    near: abhorrence, abomination, allergy, averseness, aversion, disfavor, disgust, disinclination, dislike, disliking, distaste, hatred, loathing, nausea, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion, apathy, indifference, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern

  3. positive regard for something

    "he has expensive appetites"

    similar: fancy, favor, fondness, like, liking, love, love affair, partiality, preference, relish, shine, taste, use
    related: craving, desire, hankering, longing, thirst, yen, enthusiasm, gusto, interest, passion, bias, prejudice, bent, inclination, leaning, propensity, tendency, tooth, palate, weakness
    opposite: aversion, disfavor, disgust, dislike, distaste, hatred, loathing, mislike
    near: apathy, disinclination, indifference, unconcern

  4. urgent desire or interest

    "an athlete with an appetite for in-your-face competition"

    similar: ardor, avidity, avidness, desirousness, eagerness, enthusiasm, excitement, hunger, impatience, keenness, lust, thirst
    related: alacrity, quickness, ambition, gusto, zest, appetence, appetency, fervency, passion, warmth, zeal, amenability, readiness, willingness
    opposite: apathy, indifference
    near: casualness, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern, aloofness, detachment, impassivity, languidness, languor, halfheartedness, lukewarmness

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Appetite

The most common words with a similar meaning to Appetite:

Slang: jones
belly, emptiness, famishment, hunger, munchies, stomach, appetency, craving, desire, drive, hankering, itch, letch, longing, lust, passion, pining, thirst, thirstiness, urge, yearning, yen, fancy, favor, fondness, like, liking, love, love affair, partiality, preference, relish, shine, taste, use, ardor, avidity, avidness, desirousness, eagerness

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Appetite

Words with the opposite meaning of Appetite:

inappetence, aversion, disfavor, disgust, dislike, distaste, hatred, loathing, mislike, apathy, indifference

Related Words for Appetite

rapaciousness, rapacity, ravenousness, voraciousness, voracity, malnutrition, starvation, undernourishment, sweet tooth, famine, fast, hunger strike, gluttony, gourmandism, greed, hoggishness, compulsion, impulse, impulsion, will, zeal, weakness, want, wish, necessity, need, requirement, obsession, acquisitiveness, avarice

Near Antonyms of Appetite

fill, fullness, glut, repleteness, repletion, satiation, satiety, satisfaction, surfeit, abhorrence, abomination, allergy, averseness, disinclination, disliking, nausea, repugnance, repulsion, revulsion, insouciance, nonchalance, unconcern, casualness, aloofness, detachment, impassivity, languidness, languor, halfheartedness, lukewarmness

Word Forms of Appetite

Derived words: appetitive (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Appetite

Middle English appetit, appetite "inherent drive or urge (in physiology), desire for food or drink, longing," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French appetit, apetite (also continental Old French apetit), borrowed from Latin appetītus "natural or instinctive desire," from appetī-, variant stem of appetere "to try to reach, have a natural desire for, seek to obtain, strive after" (from ap- ap- + petere "to direct one's course to, seek to obtain") + -tu-, -tus, suffix of action nouns feather:1

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Appetite

Words & Phrases Containing Appetite

hearty appetite, lose one's appetite, ravenous appetite, whet one's appetite

Frequently Asked Questions about Appetite

What does "Appetite" mean?

"Appetite" means any of the instinctive desires necessary to keep up organic life; especially, the desire to eat. As a noun, it is defined as: any of the instinctive desires necessary to keep up organic life; especially, the desire to eat. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Appetite"?

Other words for "Appetite" include belly, emptiness, famishment, hunger, munchies, stomach, appetency and craving. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Appetite" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Appetite"?

There are 102 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Appetite". Common alternatives include belly, emptiness, famishment, hunger, munchies, stomach, appetency, craving, desire and drive.

What is the opposite of "Appetite"?

Antonyms of "Appetite" include inappetence, aversion, disfavor, disgust, dislike, distaste, hatred and loathing. Near antonyms include fill, fullness, glut and repleteness.

How do you use "Appetite" in a sentence?

Examples of "Appetite" in a sentence: "don't eat before dinner, as it will spoil your appetite"; "an appetite for adventure"; "he has expensive appetites".

Is "Appetite" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Appetite" is a noun.

Is "Appetite" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Appetite" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Appetite"?

"Appetite" is pronounced /ˈa-pə-ˌtīt/ and divided into syllables as ap·pe·tite.