grasping 1 of 2

grasping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of grasp
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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective grasping differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of grasping are acquisitive, avaricious, covetous, and greedy. While all these words mean "having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions," 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 is it sensible to use acquisitive instead of grasping?

The synonyms acquisitive and grasping are sometimes interchangeable, but acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep.

an eagerly acquisitive mind

When could avaricious be used to replace grasping?

In some situations, the words avaricious and grasping are roughly equivalent. However, avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

an avaricious miser

When might covetous be a better fit than grasping?

The words covetous and grasping are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

covetous of his brother's country estate

Where would greedy be a reasonable alternative to grasping?

The meanings of greedy and grasping largely overlap; however, greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire.

greedy for status symbols

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 grasping
Adjective
The imperial Presidency: Designs on Greenland, promises to take back the Panama Canal, threats of tariffs on countries ranging from Colombia to Taiwan—how did a President who once pledged isolationism become so grasping? Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025 Multiplied across numerous markets in every state, the LIHTC fuels more and more grasping for cash instead of reductions to make housing easier to create. Roger Valdez, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024 Unlike most other camp movies, this one isn’t about preserving and revering childhood, but the sloppy, grasping, wonderful transition to adulthood. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grasping
Adjective
  • People often stereotype crypto investors as reckless, young, or greedy.
    Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 18 June 2025
  • To be patient but not to be greedy, Lilian thought now, studying Maureen’s pale eyelids.
    Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
Verb
  • Any incumbent party would have had trouble holding onto the White House.
    Alex Thompson, Axios, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Again, this man has been holding onto so much, and things have just been compacted for him.
    Katcy Stephan, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Columbus has the most cap room in the league and is eager to add this summer.
    Pierre LeBrun, New York Times, 21 June 2025
  • The ballpark help seemed eager to please, and restrictions on seating and other areas were loose to unenforced.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • The two had admittedly a little too much fun making their new action comedy, which follows the lavish wedding of Betsy (Camp) and Ryan (Sam Huntington), which is crashed by a mercenary group that takes everyone hostage.
    EW.com, EW.com, 19 June 2025
  • Any spy or mercenary line of work comes at a massive cost.
    Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 19 June 2025
Adjective
  • Image Meet Me at the Crossroads by Megan Giddings The sudden appearance of seven mysterious doors across the world draws attention from religious sects, covetous billionaires and everyday people who speculate over what lies on the other side.
    Laura Thompson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • His approach, on and off the pitch, has had a transformative effect and as Palace seek to secure him on a new contract, there have been covetous glances cast in his direction from clubs in the German Bundesliga.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Over its history OpenText has been an highly acquisitive company to build out its software stack.
    GuruFocus, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Banijay has been among the most acquisitive independent TV makers of recent years, and now reportedly has its sights on ITV.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • There is an obvious tension between celebrating the city’s birthday and recognizing the painful and violent genocide that paved way for the city’s formation.
    Joe Baker, New York Daily News, 28 Dec. 2024
  • As a result, men are the default for everything from calculating drug doses to recognizing heart attack symptoms to designing and testing car safety features.
    Eva Epker, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The comedy-drama follows a Gen Z content creator who returns to her ancestral home seeking viral material, only to encounter her deceased brother’s ghost while dealing with avaricious relatives.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2025
  • This nation state, my home, is built on a quagmire of lies sold to the young as truths; sold to the insecure as truths; sold by the avaricious, the power-hungry, the conceited, the overwhelmingly white and male.
    Christine Winter, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Grasping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grasping. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.

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