CARNIVOROUS Synonyms: 18 Similar and Opposite Words

carnivorous

adjective

Definition of carnivorous

as in aggressive

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Example 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 carnivorous Even the kindly Florida manatee, connoisseur of bayou seagrass, sometimes flies into a carnivorous rage, snapping up fish and gnashing them in its terrible teeth. — David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026 This classic summer vacation spot is also home to natural gifts, including Carolina Beach State Park, with some of the area's finest fishing and the Flytrap Trail, named for the carnivorous Venus Flytrap plants along its path. — Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 16 June 2026 Like dogs and cats, carnivorous plants can be fed and watered. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 10 June 2026 Keepers discovered the furry, carnivorous marsupial was missing from her enclosure at Paradise Country wildlife park on Queensland's Gold Coast on Tuesday morning. — CBS News, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for carnivorous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for carnivorous

Adjective

The fire department said firefighters quickly went into defensive mode because the flames were so aggressive.

— Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Starting the playoffs in the wild-card round reduces the World Series odds that Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has repeatedly cited as a factor in how aggressive a front office should be at the trade deadline.

— Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 30 July 2026

Definition of aggressive

Adjective

Golf star Charley Hull pulled off a savage prank on her caddie, Adam Woodward, earlier in the week, and some people were upset about it.

— Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026
The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.

— Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of savage

Adjective

Since then, the military have kept her exact whereabouts and condition secret as a deadly civil war has engulfed much of the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
Moscow mayor calls Saturday's deadly bomb attack on restaurant a 'terrorist act.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of deadly

Adjective

Michael was arrested two days later, per Denver TV station KUSA, and charged with first-degree murder, use of a weapon in a violent crime, theft of $100 to $500, and abuse of a corpse.

— Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Crime reached a breaking point that summer after a drive-by shooting killed a man at Progress Park, topping off a string of violent incidents in the neighborhood just northeast of uptown Charlotte.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of violent

Adjective

To the world, McRae is a strong, fearless entertainer, a triple threat who can pen songs that recall the fizzy pop of the early aughts and bring them to life as a ferocious singer and dancer.

— Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
In 1970, Milton Friedman’s ferocious political essay in the New York Times, and the agency-theorizing that followed provided sufficient intellectual justification.

— Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of ferocious

Adjective

His muscles grew stronger; his predatory instincts came to the fore.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026
Two local business owners, Yazan Humaideh of Sip City and Charles Osborne of Golden Cleaning Services, joined Budd and Theodros Thursday to share their stories about predatory towing.

— Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026

Definition of predatory

Adjective

Management tried to modernize a restaurant brand built around nostalgia, underestimated how strongly customers identified with its image, and eventually reversed the change after a fierce backlash.

— Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
The jostling grew particularly fierce between South Carolina and Nevada.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of fierce

Adjective

The twin forces of trade restrictions in the Gulf and the rapacious demands for AI server infrastructure have driven up the prices of memory and storage.

— Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Capitalism’s rapacious use of the planet has run up a tab to be paid by both future generations and the poor currently living in the Global South.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026

Definition of rapacious

Browse Nearby Words

carnivores

carnivorous

caroche

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“Carnivorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnivorous. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of carnivorous

adjective

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