Literary notes about Avid (AI summary)
In literature, the term "avid" is employed to emphasize an extraordinary intensity of emotion or desire, whether it be for tangible objects or intangible experiences. It appears in contexts ranging from a character’s reluctant passion for money [1] to more overt physical craving, as in the description of an "avid hunger" [2] and an "avid gaze" that reveals a deep-seated intensity [3]. Authors also extend its usage to capture fervent intellectual or sensory appetite—as seen in a journalist's thirst for new facts [4] or a character’s keen ear for every distinct sound [5]. Whether evoking overwhelming enthusiasm for music or an insatiable hunger for life’s pleasures, "avid" consistently amplifies the sense of relentless pursuit, sometimes even hinting at an obsessive or greedy streak.
- Not that I'm avid for money, but it truly seems more in accord with what must have been grandfather's real wish.
— from The Seeker by Harry Leon Wilson - A strange expression had come over his face, an avid hunger.
— from Second Variety by Philip K. Dick - Only at last his eyes Opened, then brightened in such avid gaze
— from Selections from Modern Poets Made by J. C. Squire - Jim is a journalist avid for new facts; he regrets that so much of the information on the Net is wrong or out of date.
— from NetWorld! What People Are Really Doing on the Internet and What It Means to You by David H. Rothman - Every sound came distinct to her avid ears, though it sounded through a ringing.
— from Out of the Air by Inez Haynes Gillmore
