ávida

ávida is the feminine form of the Spanish adjective ávido, meaning "eager" or "avid." It describes a person who has a strong desire or enthusiasm for something, often in intellectual or experiential contexts. For example, una lectora ávida describes someone who reads voraciously; una curiosidad ávida describes intense curiosity. The sense can be neutral or positive, implying zeal, but in some contexts it may carry a nuance of greed if applied inappropriately.

Etymology and form: It derives from Latin avidus "eager, greedy." In Spanish, feminine adjectives end in -a, so ávido becomes ávida to match feminine nouns. The masculine form is used with masculine nouns (e.g., un lector ávido); the feminine form with feminine nouns (e.g., una lectora ávida).

Orthography and pronunciation: The word carries an acute accent on the first syllable to indicate stress: á-vi-da. Pronunciation is roughly AH-vee-dah, with a soft "v" and a clear "d" before the final "a."

Usage notes: Ávida is common in written Spanish, including literature and journalism, when a narrator or subject is described as having energetic intellectual or experiential pursuit. It is less common in casual speech, where more everyday synonyms (entusiasta, voraz) may be used depending on nuance.

See also: ávido, avidez, avidity.