Meaning & use
to be thirsty
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Meanings
phrase
To feel the need to drink something; to have a dry mouth or a desire for liquid.
Grammar: Used with the verb 'be' in the infinitive form; the subject is the person or animal feeling thirst.
Patterns
- be thirsty
- feel thirsty
- get thirsty
After running, I was very thirsty and drank two glasses of water.
The children said they were thirsty, so we stopped for juice.
If you are thirsty, there is water in the fridge.
phrasefigurative
To strongly desire something (often used figuratively, as in 'thirsty for success').
Grammar: Often followed by 'for' to show what is desired.
Patterns
- be thirsty for something
- be thirsty to do something
She was thirsty for knowledge and read every book she could find.
The team was thirsty for a victory after a long losing streak.
Common combinations
- be thirsty
- I'm thirsty; let's get a drink.
- feel thirsty
- You might feel thirsty after exercise.
- thirsty for
- He was thirsty for revenge.
Synonyms and how they differ
- parched
- Parched is stronger and often means extremely thirsty, while thirsty is the general word.
- dry
- Dry can mean lacking moisture, but thirsty specifically means needing a drink.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: to be thirsty or hungry?
to be thirsty vs hungry
Hungry is the need for food, while thirsty is the need for drink.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'to be thirsty' correctly?
Choose one answer.
When thirsty is used figuratively to mean 'desiring', it is followed by 'for'. The other prepositions do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to be thirsty”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.