rapacious

adjective

ra·​pa·​cious rə-ˈpā-shəs 

1

: excessively grasping or covetous

2

: living on prey

3

: ravenous

a rapacious appetite

rapaciously adverb

rapaciousness noun

Synonyms of rapacious

• greedy
• ravenous

Choose the Right Synonym for rapacious

voracious, gluttonous, ravenous, rapacious mean excessively greedy.

voracious applies especially to habitual gorging with food or drink.

teenagers are often voracious eaters

gluttonous applies to one who delights in eating or acquiring things especially beyond the point of necessity or satiety.

an admiral who was gluttonous for glory

ravenous implies excessive hunger and suggests violent or grasping methods of dealing with food or with whatever satisfies an appetite.

a nation with a ravenous lust for territorial expansion

rapacious often suggests excessive and utterly selfish acquisitiveness or avarice.

rapacious developers indifferent to environmental concerns

Examples of rapacious in a Sentence

nothing livens things up like a whole team of rapacious basketball players descending upon the pizza parlor

rapacious mammals, such as coyotes, foxes, and bobcats

Recent Examples on the Web

Carville’s theory was and remains controversial—his critics point to the lasting damage Trump has inflicted everywhere since his rapacious return to office while the Democrats have looked on haplessly. —Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026

By contrast, his second term looks rapacious. —David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2026

Under his leadership, the paper led a long and ultimately successful fight to end the rapacious practice of hydraulic mining that literally destroyed mountains and ruined Central Valley watersheds. —Seán McMahon, Sacbee.com, 23 Jan. 2026

Heaving on the shore after nearly being taken under the rapacious waves, Byrne is released from a moribund procession of sound and light. —Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin rapāc-, rapāx "given to seizing or catching things (as prey), carrying away, excessively grasping" (from rapere "to seize and carry off" + -āc-, -āx, deverbal suffix denoting habitual or successful performance) + -ious — more at rapid entry 1, audacious

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rapacious

• pertinacious
• pugnacious

Kids Definition

rapacious

adjective

ra·​pa·​cious rə-ˈpā-shəs 

1

: very greedy

2

: predatory sense 2

rapaciously adverb

rapaciousness noun