appetiteap‧pe‧tite /ˈæpətaɪt/ ●●○ noun 
Her husband always had a huge appetite. Symptoms include tiredness and loss of appetite.2[countable] a desire or liking for a particular activityappetite for She has an amazing appetite for knowledge. People seem to have an insatiable appetite (=always wanting more of something) for news of any kind. a loss of sexual appetite → whet somebody’s appetite at whet(1)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa good/healthy appetite· Growing children should have a healthy appetite.a big/huge/enormous appetite· By the time Ron was 16 he had an enormous appetite.a poor appetite· A poor appetite may be a sign of illness.a small appetite· My aunt only had a small appetite.verbshave an appetite· There’s lots of food – I hope you have a good appetite.lose your appetite· She was so miserable that she completely lost her appetite.give somebody an appetite (also stimulate your appetite formal)· The exercise and fresh air had given us an appetite.· The aroma of the herbs and spices helps stimulate the appetite.spoil/ruin your appetite (=make you not feel like eating a meal)· Don’t give the children any more sweets – it will spoil their appetite.phrasesloss/lack of appetite· Symptoms include fever and loss of appetite.· I’m a bit worried about her lack of appetite.
WORD ORIGINappetite
Origin:
1300-1400 Old French apetit, from Latin, past participle of appetere ‘to try to get’, from ad- ‘to’ + petere ‘to look for’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Don't eat any cake now. You'll spoil your appetite.
- He has a tremendous appetite for hard work.
- How's his appetite? Is he getting enough to eat?
- She must be growing; she's got a big appetite right now.
- The dangers of the climb up Mt. Washington only whetted our appetite for more adventure.
- The public has an insatiable appetite for scandal and political controversy.
- Thompson claimed he had an insatiable sexual appetite.
- Even when Emma had gone her appetite had not slackened.
- Gao Yang knew it belonged to him, but he had no appetite.
- His appetite was enormous, but he never seemed to put on an ounce of weight.
- The Rockefeller episode vividly demonstrates the Republican appetite for strife.
- These transmitters modulate many of the functions impaired by depression - sleep, appetite, motivation, pleasure and so on.
Longman Language Activatorthe feeling you have when you are hungry
the feeling you have when you have eaten very little food: · The baby screamed with hunger.· Many slimming diets don't provide enough calories to satisfy hunger.hunger pangs (=the uncomfortable feelings in your stomach that tell you are very hungry): · If you do feel hunger pangs, nibble on carrot, celery, or cucumber sticks.
the feeling of wanting to eat when you have not eaten for some time - use this especially when someone does not have their normal desire to eat, for example when they are ill: · How's his appetite? Is he getting enough to eat?good/healthy/big appetite (=desire to eat a lot): · She must be growing; she's got a big appetite right now.spoil/ruin your appetite (=make you not want to eat a meal): · Don't eat any cake now. You'll spoil your appetite.
to become hungry to start to feel hungry, especially because you have not eaten for some time: · Is it lunchtime yet? I'm getting hungry.
to do something to make yourself want to eat, especially by hard physical exercise: · After a long day walking across the hills they had worked up quite an appetite.· There's nothing like skiing to work up an appetite.
if work, exercise, etc gives you an appetite it makes you feel hungry: · All that exercise has given me an appetite.· Spending all day in the fresh air had given them all an appetite.
not hungry · "How about something to eat?'' "No thanks, I'm not hungry.''· We offered her some sandwiches but she said she wasn't hungry.
spoken informal say this to tell someone that you are not hungry: · I had a really big lunch, so I don't feel like anything just now.· "Do you want some toast?" "No thanks, I don't want anything."
to no longer want to eat anything, especially because you are upset or ill or thinking about something else: · Jane's not feeling too well and has lost her appetite.· I shifted the food around my plate, suddenly losing my appetite as he told me the news.
a feeling that you want to do or have something especially written a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wanting to do something, especially something important, which makes you try very hard to have it or do it: desire to do something: · Young children have a keen desire to learn and succeed.desire for: · After so many years of war, there was a great desire for peace.a strong/keen/burning desire: · Young Peryoux left home for Paris, armed with a guitar, and a burning desire to succeed.
formal something that you want to happen, especially when this is very important to you: · His last wish was that his body should be buried in his home town.somebody's dearest/greatest wish (=the thing they want most of all): · She always wanted to see her grandchildren again - it was her dearest wish.
a very strong and long-lasting desire for something that you are unlikely to get - used especially in stories and literature: longing/yearning for: · She felt a great longing for the sights, sounds and smells of home.· The story gives a sensitive account of Paul's innocent yearning for love and affection.longing/yearning to do something: · At 18 I had a strong yearning to leave my small town, and see the world.
a very strong and uncontrollable desire to have something that you think about all the time, especially food, attention, or a drug: · After a week without smoking, the craving began to disappear.craving for: · The symptoms include a craving for sweet foods.
a very strong desire to have something, such as money or power, that can make you do evil things to get what you want: lust for: · Throughout his career he was motivated by a lust for power.· Her lust for money is insatiable.
a strong desire to have something regularly or do something regularly: appetite for: · He has a tremendous appetite for hard work.insatiable appetite (=extremely strong appetite): · The public has an insatiable appetite for scandal and political controversy.whet somebody's appetite (=make it stronger): · The dangers of the climb up Mt. Washington only whetted our appetite for more adventure.
a strong desire to do something, even though you know it is wrong, dangerous, unnecessary etc: temptation to do something: · There is always a temptation to blame others for your own problems.resist the temptation (=not do something, even though you want to): · Resist the temptation to get involved. After all, it's not your problem.give in to temptation (=to do something, after trying not to): · In the end, he gave in to temptation, and lit his first cigarette in five days.
an extremely strong desire, usually an unreasonable one, that is difficult or impossible to control: · The patient had a compulsion that caused him to wash his hands 20 or 30 times a day.compulsion to do something: · He felt a sudden compulsion to laugh out loud.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadjectives All of our kids have healthy appetites (=they like to eat a lot). his insatiable appetite for power our insatiable thirst for knowledge a disease which causes fever and a loss of appetite Kids can have voracious appetites. Her appetite for information was voracious.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· Growing children should have a healthy appetite.
· By the time Ron was 16 he had an enormous appetite.
· A poor appetite may be a sign of illness.
· My aunt only had a small appetite.
verbs· There’s lots of food – I hope you have a good appetite.
· She was so miserable that she completely lost her appetite.
(also stimulate your appetite formal)· The exercise and fresh air had given us an appetite.· The aroma of the herbs and spices helps stimulate the appetite.
(=make you not feel like eating a meal)· Don’t give the children any more sweets – it will spoil their appetite.
phrases· Symptoms include fever and loss of appetite.· I’m a bit worried about her lack of appetite.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES All of our kids have healthy appetites (=they like to eat a lot). his insatiable appetite for power our insatiable thirst for knowledge a disease which causes fever and a loss of appetite· They don't get enough food to satisfy their appetite.
Kids can have voracious appetites. Her appetite for information was voracious.· The chicks need round the clock attention, and have developed very healthy appetites.· A high-powered grill that has a healthy appetite for the biggest brunch.
· Their observations concerning the insatiable appetite for immediate team success from the age of eight are so relevant.· The underlying problem is the insatiable appetite of modern political campaigns for ever more cash.· I've started reading your column in the Sunday Express but that won't satisfy my insatiable appetite for your peerless wit.· The government is not some sinister monster gobbling up taxpayers' money simply to satisfy its own insatiable appetite.· As one would expect of two old pros with an insatiable appetite for the game, we hardly stopped talking about football.· She named him Albert, and gave him an insatiable appetite for ropes.
· The late James Currie had in common with all comedians a voracious appetite for new material.· He has a voracious appetite for knowledge about what is happening around every corner in New York City.· The socialists were not alone at the banquet of graft, but they had a particularly voracious appetite.· A voracious appetite, omnivorous, suitable for a bear.· Children have voracious appetites for authenticity, but in drama we should never intimidate them with factual information.· Walburga once suppressed the voracious appetite of a child by having her consume three ears of grain.· Joe, for example, had a voracious appetite.
NOUN· There are no drugs or appetite suppressants in the pack.· A big rainbow-colored sign lists several prescription appetite suppressants, vitamins, and minerals.
VERB· Seaside entrepreneurs had been feeding this appetite, building this market, for several generations already.· Bookstores are feeding the new appetite as publishers bake up hot loaves of fresh poetry collections.· The result was a mutually-degrading spectacle that fed our appetite for making others look stupid.· But this was not the only series that fed on viewers' appetite for nostalgic programming.
· When stressed, we release cortisone into the body and this increases the appetite.
· The animals lose their appetites and become lame.· Blast! he thought, completely losing his appetite.· A few of us lost our appetites.· They got only about half way through the wiring before losing their appetite.· But the animals would lose their appetite and lose weight, and so would be worth less.· He lost his appetite for a girlfriend two seasons ago when she refused to share a piece of pie with him.· Many people, particularly night-workers, feel that they lose their appetite in the middle of the night.· Zanoyan believes banks may have lost their appetite for government debt.
· Nestled within these bleak volcanic highlands are fertile valleys filled with game plentiful enough to satisfy even the appetites of dragons.· The government is not some sinister monster gobbling up taxpayers' money simply to satisfy its own insatiable appetite.· However, it will be unlikely that you could produce enough to satisfy the appetites of the Tangs on a continuous basis.· First, there was the clear risk that particularization would feed rather than satisfy the appetite for further self-determination.· Flake will not satisfy the appetite or requirements of a 10in Oscar.· Obviously this would have some realistic effect in satisfying the appetite.· These are designed to whet rather than satisfy the appetite - but short bibliographies help would-be students to delve further.· I've started reading your column in the Sunday Express but that won't satisfy my insatiable appetite for your peerless wit.
· To whet your appetite, try the Wanaka lamb in orange sauce recipe on this page.· Undergraduates will certainly find some interesting material, and researchers will also find enough examples to whet their appetite.· If that's not enough to whet your appetite, we've 100 £4 entrance tickets to give away free!· Martin's potted history of each railway is certainly sufficiently detailed to whet the appetite enough to free buttocks from armchair Dralon.· Most of the notorious grade anomalies have been ironed out and the colour photos should whet people's appetites.· Any departure from it would be more likely to whet appetites than to satisfy them.· To whet your appetite, here are some of the most commonly asked questions about fine vintage wines.· After a quick outline of what each type of program lets you do, I list some uses to whet your appetite.
· I hadn't really grasped what they were talking about, but my two successes in Madrid had whetted my appetite.· I swallowed the last bite of the roll, but it merely whetted my appetite.· In Seoul, the secret meeting with Kim whetted the appetite of those few who were aware of it.· The behaviour whetted Ken's own appetite.· That glimpse he had had of Capri with Dickie had only whetted his appetite.· Glimpses of the West whetted appetites and fuelled discontent at home.· Those invigorating tramps across the springy heather merely whetted my appetite for more.
· We went steaming first to work up an appetite.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► work up an appetite/a thirst/a sweat
1[countable usually singular, uncountable] a desire for food: - It was designed for use as an appetite suppressant, to be taken along with a certain pill.
- To whet your appetite for a trip to Santa Fe, here is a list of our favorite sights.
- After a quick outline of what each type of program lets you do, I list some uses to whet your appetite.
- If that's not enough to whet your appetite, we've 100 £4 entrance tickets to give away free!
- Martin's potted history of each railway is certainly sufficiently detailed to whet the appetite enough to free buttocks from armchair Dralon.
- Most of the notorious grade anomalies have been ironed out and the colour photos should whet people's appetites.
- Rhys Williams was very convincing and his books did much to whet my appetite to visit the vast Soviet empire.
- To whet your appetite, here are some of the most commonly asked questions about fine vintage wines.
- To whet your appetite, try the Wanaka lamb in orange sauce recipe on this page.
- Undergraduates will certainly find some interesting material, and researchers will also find enough examples to whet their appetite.
Her husband always had a huge appetite. Symptoms include tiredness and loss of appetite.2[countable] a desire or liking for a particular activityappetite for She has an amazing appetite for knowledge. People seem to have an insatiable appetite (=always wanting more of something) for news of any kind. a loss of sexual appetite → whet somebody’s appetite at whet(1)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa good/healthy appetite· Growing children should have a healthy appetite.a big/huge/enormous appetite· By the time Ron was 16 he had an enormous appetite.a poor appetite· A poor appetite may be a sign of illness.a small appetite· My aunt only had a small appetite.verbshave an appetite· There’s lots of food – I hope you have a good appetite.lose your appetite· She was so miserable that she completely lost her appetite.give somebody an appetite (also stimulate your appetite formal)· The exercise and fresh air had given us an appetite.· The aroma of the herbs and spices helps stimulate the appetite.spoil/ruin your appetite (=make you not feel like eating a meal)· Don’t give the children any more sweets – it will spoil their appetite.phrasesloss/lack of appetite· Symptoms include fever and loss of appetite.· I’m a bit worried about her lack of appetite.