apetito
nounCEFR B2
What does “apetito” mean in English?
appetite, eagerness
appetite, eagerness (figurative: a strong desire or enthusiasm for something; apetito por el riesgo/el poder)
Example sentences
El apetito del mercado por la deuda pública de los países emergentes ha aumentado considerablemente en los últimos trimestres.
The market's appetite for the public debt of emerging countries has grown considerably in recent quarters.
El escándalo no hizo sino despertar el apetito de los medios, que siguieron investigando durante semanas.
The scandal only whetted the media's appetite, which kept investigating for weeks.
La empresa demostró un apetito voraz por la expansión internacional, adquiriendo cuatro compañías en menos de un año.
The company demonstrated a voracious appetite for international expansion, acquiring four companies in less than a year.
How to use it
El apetito (noun, masculine) means 'appetite' — both the literal desire for food and, at B2, the metaphorical craving for power, knowledge, risk, or opportunity. Core collocations: el apetito inversor/regulatorio (investment/regulatory appetite); despertar/satisfacer el apetito; abrir el apetito; el apetito por el riesgo; apetito voraz (voracious appetite). The literal sense (no tengo apetito — I'm not hungry) is well-known from earlier levels; the figurative B2 use in economics and politics is the new register. The adjective form is apetitoso/a (appetising).
Common mistake
The figurative use of apetito in Spanish mirrors English perfectly — 'appetite for risk/power' = apetito por el riesgo/el poder. The literal 'I have no appetite' = No tengo apetito or No tengo hambre (both natural). Don't confuse apetito (appetite as a desire) with ganas (desire/enthusiasm — broader and more colloquial).