What does avid mean?
Avid is an adjective used to describe someone with intense, enthusiastic dedication to a particular activity or interest. An avid reader devours books; an avid hiker spends every free weekend on the trails; an avid fan follows a team through thick and thin. The word conveys more than casual enjoyment — it suggests a genuine passion bordering on craving. It appears almost exclusively before the noun it modifies, as in "avid supporter," and its tone is warmly approving rather than critical. Derived from the Latin avidus, meaning greedy or eager, it shares deep roots with "avarice," which gives it an interesting pedigree: what begins as a word about appetite has become one of English's favorite ways to praise wholehearted enthusiasm. Its adverb and noun forms, avidly and avidity, preserve that sense of eager intensity.
adjectiveHaving or showing an intense eagerness or enthusiasm for something; extremely interested in and devoted to a particular activity.
- Showing great enthusiasm for and devotion to an activity or pursuit (an avid reader, an avid gardener).
- Characterized by intense eagerness, craving, or appetite.
"An avid reader since childhood, she finished three novels on the flight alone."
"He was an avid collector of vintage vinyl records."
"The team's avid supporters traveled hundreds of miles for the final."
"Avid" comes from the same Latin root as "avarice" — so an avid reader is literally someone who 'greedily craves' books.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of avid
Avid comes from the Latin avidus, meaning eager, greedy, or desirous, derived from the verb avēre, "to crave or long for." It entered English in the early 17th century, initially carrying a stronger sense of covetous greed before softening into its modern, largely positive sense of keen enthusiasm. Its closest English cognate is "avarice," from the related Latin avis-derived root, both pointing back to the idea of craving.
Related word forms
How avid is actually used
Almost always used attributively before a noun ("an avid fan") rather than predicatively after one; it carries a strongly positive connotation of wholehearted enthusiasm.
Easily confused with avid
"Arid" means extremely dry or barren, while "avid" means eagerly enthusiastic — they differ by one letter but are nearly opposite in feel.
"Avoid" is a verb meaning to keep away from something, whereas "avid" is an adjective describing eager desire for something.