Synonyms of mercenary

mercenary

adjective

as in greedy

having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions

they were a mercenary couple, who defined themselves not by what they were but by what they owned

Synonyms & Similar Words

• greedy
• eager
• avaricious
• acquisitive
• covetous
• avid
• grasping
• rapacious
• moneygrubbing
• coveting
• materialistic
• grabby
• desirous
• miserly
• piggish
• insatiable
• egocentric
• hoggish
• ravenous
• gluttonous
• piggy
• discontented
• grudging
• malcontent
• egotistic
• commercialistic
• unquenchable
• egoistic
• resentful
• unsatisfied
• lickerish
• swinish
• voracious
• self-centered
• itchy
• begrudging
• discontent
• devouring
• self-seeking
• philistine
• gobbling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• charitable
• liberal
• altruistic
• generous
• handsome
• selfless
• unselfish
• magnanimous
• munificent
• controlled
• bountiful
• bounteous
• unsparing
• moderate
• nonmaterialistic
• restrained
• temperate
• content
• openhanded
• openhearted
• satisfied
• freehanded
• greathearted
• sated

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of mercenary

When the mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin rebelled against Putin, in 2023, the Wall Street Journal reported that then security council chief Nikolai Patrushev, age 75, orchestrated the plane crash that killed the rebel leader. — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026

Now, with one-year mercenary players plus rapid roster turnover, the first game deters even the most addicted sports gambler. — Mac Engel july 28, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026

But after Richard’s death, his mercenary captain and right-hand man, the infamous Mercadier, had Basile flayed alive and hanged. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

In the webtoon, the Baekho Employment Agency, aka the White Tiger Job Center, is a mercenary organization founded and led by Tom Lee. — Kayti Burt, Time, 27 July 2026