Appetite is the natural desire to eat. When you wake up hungry for breakfast or smell cookies baking and suddenly want one, that's your appetite at work. Hunger is your body's physical need for food, the empty, slightly uncomfortable feeling when your body actually needs fuel. Appetite is the wanting: you might have an appetite for pizza even after eating lunch, drawn by how good it tastes rather than by physical need.

The word also describes a strong desire or enthusiasm for anything, not just food. A student with an appetite for learning eagerly dives into new subjects. Someone might have an appetite for adventure, always seeking new experiences and challenges. A voracious reader has an appetite for books.

Your appetite can change based on how you feel. Excitement might spoil your appetite before a big performance, making it hard to eat even though you know you should. The smell of your favorite meal can stimulate your appetite, making you suddenly ravenous. When someone has a healthy appetite, they eat well and enthusiastically. When something is appetizing, it looks or smells so good it makes you want to eat it.

The phrase whet your appetite means to increase your desire for something, like when a movie trailer makes you eager to see the full film.