predatory

adjective

pred·​a·​to·​ry ˈpre-də-ˌtȯr-ē 

1

a

: of, relating to, or practicing plunder or pillage

b

: inclined or intended to injure or exploit others for personal gain or profit

predatory pricing practices

2

: living by predation : predaceous

also : adapted to predation

Synonyms of predatory

• rapacious
• aggressive
• predaceous
• raptorial
• deadly
• ferocious
• wild
• savage

Examples of predatory in a Sentence

Hawks are predatory and may pose a danger to rabbits and other small pets.

The company made millions for investors but clearly engaged in predatory lending practices.

Recent Examples on the Web

The predatory add-ons were annoying. —Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 9 May 2026

Late spring, after threat of frost has passed Dill is a fabulous garden plant, providing flavorful foliage and seeds for kitchen use, as well as vibrant blooms beloved by predatory wasps, lacewings, and syrphid flies. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026

There was a softness about them, regularly falling prey to predatory Premier League attackers. —Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 9 May 2026

Even more troubling, predatory supplement companies target youth with deceptive claims about the safety and efficacy of these products, claiming users will lose a rapid amount of weight or achieve a perfect body. —Jad Abdel Nour, Hartford Courant, 4 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for predatory

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• category
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• dormitory
• excretory
• feudatory
• gustatory

Kids Definition

predatory

adjective

pred·​a·​to·​ry ˈpred-ə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

1

: of, relating to, or marked by robbing or using others for personal gain

predatory raids

2

: living by predation

predatory animals

Legal Definition

predatory

adjective

pred·​a·​to·​ry ˈpre-də-ˌtōr-ē 

1

: inclined or intended to injure competitors by unfair means

subject to antitrust liability for predatory conduct

—National Law Journal

predatory bidding

2

: inclined or intended to injure or exploit others for personal gain or profit

predatory loans

3

: of or relating to a sexual predator

predatory assault