predatory

adjective

pred·​a·​to·​ry ˈpre-də-ˌtȯr-ē 

1

a

: of, relating to, or practicing plunder, pillage, or rapine

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

• rapacious
• aggressive
• predacious
• predaceous
• raptorial
• deadly
• wild
• violent
• ferocious

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

Silicon Valley dreamt up poor derivations of past cautionary tales and created a monoculture of exploitative social media feeds and predatory data-hungry apps that birthed Orwell’s surveillance state. —John Lopez, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025

Dealers and lenders have long engaged in deceptive and predatory practices that jack up prices for car buyers in order to line their pockets. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025

They apparently got caught opening up their systems to predatory resellers, which is a betrayal of fans and artists. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025

After incarceration, Wright will be required to register as a predatory offender and be on conditional release for 10 years. —Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 18 Oct. 2025

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
• extempore
• feudatory

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