Thirst
/θɜrst/
nounverbB1
Definition
Thirst is the strong feeling that your body needs water or liquid to stay healthy. It happens when your body loses water and signals you to drink. As a verb, "to thirst" means to feel this need or desire for a drink.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
The feeling of needing to drink liquid
- •After running, I felt a strong thirst.
- •Thirst is a sign your body needs water.
- •When you are thirsty, drink some water.
(verb) To feel the need or desire for a drink
- •I thirst for a cold drink on this hot day.
- •The plants thirst for rain after the dry week.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "thirst" like "need water," but it is the strong feeling inside your body telling you to drink soon.
- ✓Picture your mouth feeling dry and your tongue sticky when you haven't had water for a long time.
- ✓It's the uncomfortable feeling you get on a hot day after running or working hard.
- ✓Sounds like "first" → imagine being the FIRST to want water after playing outside in the sun.
- ✓Think of stories where travelers in the desert feel very thirsty and must find water quickly.
- ✓NOT like "hunger" (need food), thirst is about needing liquids to stay alive.
- ✓NOT like "drink" (the action), thirst is the feeling or need before you drink.
- ✓NOT like "craving" (wanting something for pleasure), thirst is a physical need, not just a want.
Try Other Words
- •Hunger: need for food (Use when talking about wanting to eat, not drink)
- •Desire: strong want (Use when the feeling is about wanting something, not a physical need)
- •Dryness: lack of moisture (Use to describe the physical feeling in the mouth, but not the feeling of thirst itself)
- •Dehydration: loss of water in the body (Use in medical or serious contexts about lack of water)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "thirst" is a simple root word with no prefix or suffix
- •Etymology: Old English "þurst," meaning the need to drink
- •Historical development: Used for centuries to describe the body's need for water or liquids
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to talk about feeling thirsty or the body's need for liquids
- •Also used metaphorically to mean a strong desire for something (like knowledge or success)
Reflect & Connect
•How do you know when your thirst is strong enough to need a drink right away?
•Can thirst mean wanting something other than water? How do people use the word in those cases?
Fill in the blanks
1.When you exercise a lot, your thirst ___ because your body loses water.
2.Thirst is the body's way of telling you that you need to ___ soon.
3.Unlike hunger, thirst is about needing ___, not food.
4.People often say they "thirst for knowledge," which means they want to ___ something new.
5.After a long day in the sun, her thirst was so strong that she drank ___ water.
6.When plants lack water, they ___ for rain to survive.
7.If you ignore your thirst, you might feel ___ or tired because your body is dry.