Definition of gluttonousnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word gluttonous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of gluttonous are rapacious, ravenous, and voracious. While all these words mean "excessively greedy," 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

Where would rapacious be a reasonable alternative to gluttonous?

The words rapacious and gluttonous can be used in similar contexts, but rapacious often suggests excessive and utterly selfish acquisitiveness or avarice.

rapacious developers indifferent to environmental concerns

When could ravenous be used to replace gluttonous?

While in some cases nearly identical to gluttonous, 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

When is it sensible to use voracious instead of gluttonous?

The synonyms voracious and gluttonous are sometimes interchangeable, but voracious applies especially to habitual gorging with food or drink.

teenagers are often voracious eaters

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 gluttonous The compound works, and while her gluttonous binges become increasingly uncontrolled — filmed by James and DP Charlie Sarroff like woozy Francis Bacon images — her weight keeps plummeting. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Feb. 2026 On her debut solo album, Quicksand Heart, Jenny Hollingworth is hungry—practically gluttonous—for life. Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 16 Jan. 2026 In this, the second-to-last time Friends would celebrate November’s most gluttonous holiday, Rachel’s obnoxious sister Amy (Christina Applegate) invites herself to Thanksgiving, and the conversation turns to who would get custody of baby Emma if Rachel and Ross died. Brian Boone, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2025 Yanick Parent, Guillaume Cartigny, and Mychael Blouin are the masterminds behind the quaint restaurant, creating a boisterous menu of traditional Quebecois foods—usually with a gluttonous upgrade. Pamela MacNaughtan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gluttonous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gluttonous
Adjective
  • Summers in Florida would not be so hot if lawmakers were not so greedy; developers not so persistent; if land and wildlife weren’t paved for roads, parking lots and housing developments.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026
  • The bottom line is this World Cup’s bottom line comes with the tournament’s most expensive tickets ever the world’s most popular event collides with all-American capitalism at its greediest.
    Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
Adjective
  • The scratches, mild but visible, are from the ravenous audience who pushes toward her night after night — grasping for a hug, a high-five, a brush of her fingers or the hem of her sleeve.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026
  • In the beginning was a ravenous pink elephant laying claim to its mother’s life and body.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The Pork Belly A breakfast diner that added piggish flair to Kuna’s dining scene is no more.
    Michael Deeds January 1, Idaho Statesman, 1 Jan. 2026
  • Rogen lands a few funny lines, but the jokes mostly serve to distract from the point of the story: that freedom is ephemeral and easily corrupted, while humans are inherently piggish (as opposed to the other way around), seizing the first opportunity to take more than their share.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gluttonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gluttonous. Accessed 17 May. 2026.

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