thirst
/θɝst/noun, verb
thirst is spelled T-H-I-R-S-T: 6 letters and one syllable. It appears 4.4 times per million words in written English, the 12,216th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, thirst means “A sensation of dryness in the throat associated with a craving for liquids, produced by deprivation of drink, or by some other cause (such as fear…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of thirst is thirsts.
How many letters and syllables are in thirst?
| Letters | 6: T-H-I-R-S-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 4.4 times per million words; the 12,216th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is thirst?
Thirst appears 4.4 times per million words in written English, the 12,216th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce thirst?
- UK /θɜːst/
- US /θɝst/
- /θɪɹst/
Thirst has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-thirst.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with thirst?
7 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as thirst from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹst/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: tshirt.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of thirst
- thirsts plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- thirsting participle, present
- thirsted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does thirst mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A sensation of dryness in the throat associated with a craving for liquids, produced by deprivation of drink, or by some other cause (such as fear, excitement, etc.) which stops the secretion of the pharyngeal mucous membrane.
We developed a great thirst during our hike.
- 2
The condition producing the sensation of thirst.
If you go out in the desert for long without water, the thirst can drive you mad.
- 3
A want and eager desire (for something); a craving or longing.
She had a real thirst for news and that greatly helped her career.
- 4
Sexual lust.
He had a thirst for her and she had the same for him.
verb
- 1
To be thirsty.
- 2
To desire vehemently.
I thirst for knowledge and education will sate me.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Thirst in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | soif , avoir soif , désirer |
| German | Durst , dürsten, dursten, Durst haben , lechzen |
| Portuguese | sede , ter sede, estar com sede |
| Spanish | sed , tener sed , desear , hambre, ambición, ansias |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does thirst come from?
From Middle English thirst, thurst, from Old English þurst, from Proto-West Germanic *þurstu, from Proto-Germanic *þurstuz, from Proto-Indo-European *ters- (“dry”). Germanic cognates include Old High German thurst, Middle High German durst, German Durst, Old Saxon thurst, Old Dutch thursti, Middle Dutch dorst, dorste, Dutch dorst, Old Norse þorsti (Swedish törst, Icelandic þorsti, Faroese tosti, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål tørst, Norwegian Nynorsk tørste).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).