appetite

appetite — noun

1. your body's wish for a meal, or the level of hunger you feel

1.nounC1
Definition

your body's wish for a meal, or the level of hunger you feel

Example

The long swim gave Noah a huge appetite for lunch.

give someone an appetite

After the fever, Mei finally got her appetite back.

get your appetite back

Common collocations
  • big appetite
  • healthy appetite
  • lose your appetite
  • get your appetite back
  • work up an appetite
Synonyms
  • hunger

    focuses more on the physical need for food

  • craving

    suggests a stronger wish, often for one particular food

Grammar Patterns

have an appetite

lose your appetite

work up an appetite

Usage Note

Often used with verbs like have, lose, spoil, and work up. Distinguish from sense 2, which usually takes appetite for + an abstract noun such as risk, change, or travel.

Common Mistakes

I lost my hunger after the medicine.
I lost my appetite after the medicine.
lose your appetite is the usual pattern when food no longer seems appealing.

2. a powerful wish to have, do, or get more of something

2.nounC2
Definition

a powerful wish to have, do, or get more of something

Example

Investors showed little appetite for risky deals after the market crash.

appetite for + noun

Kalani's appetite for travel grew after her first solo trip.

Common collocations
  • appetite for risk
  • appetite for change
  • appetite for power
  • show little appetite for
  • growing appetite for
Synonyms
  • desire

    the broadest choice and less vivid

  • enthusiasm

    stresses eager interest more than wanting to obtain something

  • craving

    stronger and often more emotional or uncontrolled

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

have an appetite for something

show little appetite for something

Usage Note

Usually appears in the pattern appetite for + noun or -ing form. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about eating and often appears with lose, spoil, or work up.

Common Mistakes

The company has appetite to expand.
The company has an appetite for expansion.
this sense normally takes for + noun or for + -ing form.

Word family

  • appetizing
    adjectiveC1
  • unappetizing
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For sense 1, appetite is the general word for being ready to eat. Hunger is more physical: it often suggests your body needs food because you have not eaten. Craving is stronger and narrower, and it often points to one exact thing, such as chocolate or fried chicken. Taste is different again because it is about what you like, not whether you feel like eating now. A child may have no appetite after a fever, feel hunger after skipping lunch, and still have a craving for ice cream later. You can also lose your appetite even when a food is usually to your taste.

appetite ↗hunger ↗cravingtaste ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • have an appetite for

Prepositions

  • appetite for

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

English got appetite through French from a Latin root linked to reaching for something. The Latin verb appetere meant to seek after or long for, and that idea of wanting strongly later became especially connected with food in English.