Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective acquisitive differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of acquisitive are avaricious, covetous, grasping, and greedy. While all these words mean "having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions," acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep.

an eagerly acquisitive mind

When could avaricious be used to replace acquisitive?

While in some cases nearly identical to acquisitive, avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

an avaricious miser

When would covetous be a good substitute for acquisitive?

While the synonyms covetous and acquisitive are close in meaning, covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

covetous of his brother's country estate

How does the word grasping relate to other synonyms for acquisitive?

Grasping adds to covetous and greedy an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means.

a hard grasping businesswoman who cheated her associates

When might greedy be a better fit than acquisitive?

The synonyms greedy and acquisitive are sometimes interchangeable, but greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire.

greedy for status symbols

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of acquisitive The book-to-TV market remains red hot, with Heyday parent UIS among the most acquisitive in the past year. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 July 2024 Yet in a system that was not led by Washington or another democratic superpower, the aggressive, flagrantly acquisitive action Putin has taken in Ukraine, and that Beijing has taken in the South China Sea, would be far more common. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 24 May 2022 All of them lack the scale of powerful, acquisitive French rivals LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE and Kering SA. Flavia Rotondi, Fortune Europe, 20 May 2024 The Frieze Art Fair and the Met’s Costume Institute gala start the May art season, which flowers in all its mercenary, status-seeking, and acquisitive splendor. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 18 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for acquisitive 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquisitive
Adjective
  • His skin, a greedy shade of brown, seems to eat up all the light.
    Essence, Essence, 5 Nov. 2024
  • Like Kato and Sunja’s margarita date last week, this is another small moment that moves as much, if not more, than any of the larger emotional gestures in the show — some pleasures are immune to misery’s greedy hands.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • The fourth season of Apple TV+’s Slow Horses concludes with a big ol’ reveal: Frank Harkness, the rogue intelligence operative our titular bargain-bin agents have been chasing the whole time, isn’t just the head of a mercenary cabal staffed with men he’s brainwashed since childhood.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
  • While the case was first opened in 2020, when Google blocked channels that then belonged to Wagner Group mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, it was expanded when YouTube banned further channels after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
    David Hodari, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Could bring ‘life-changing money’ for Venice family Yankees star Aaron Judge wins his second AL MVP award in three seasons RAMS From Gary Klein: After the Rams hired Sean McVay in 2017, general manager Les Snead was eager to see the 30-year-old’s head-coaching process at work.
    Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
  • As Halloween draws near, excitement builds for children eager to trick-or-treat.
    Sarah Darby, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Stalin’s apprenticeship in high-stakes diplomacy had shown him to be cunning but also opportunistic, avaricious, obdurate.
    Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2017
  • Few places in the U.S. are more fraught with unresolved tension than South Dakota’s Black Hills, land stolen from the Sioux after treaties had been signed in order for avaricious Americans to pursue gold.
    Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 7 July 2024
Adjective
  • Though covetous of certain products, trends surrounding brands are often a flash in the pan, according to Casey Lewis, Gen Z consumer analyst and author of the viral After School newsletter.
    BYSasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2024
  • All regard Cuba with the covetous memories of former lovers—longing mingled with knowledge of the island’s practical side, its transactionalism.
    Jon Lee Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021

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Thesaurus Entries Near acquisitive

Cite this Entry

“Acquisitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquisitive. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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