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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 mercenary
The eight-episode first season follows a mercenary (Sy) who embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue hostages in Libya.
—
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
That sounds a lot like Cassian Andor, the mercenary orphan turned galactic hero at the heart of two seasons of Andor on Disney+.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Black and his co-writers soften the cold mercenary side of Parker by giving him something of a moral compass, which prompts him to toss $10,000 to the stranger’s wife before fleeing the scene.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
Earth hires a mercenary company that gamifies the eviction process.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
That sounds a lot like Cassian Andor, the mercenary orphan turned galactic hero at the heart of two seasons of Andor on Disney+.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Black and his co-writers soften the cold mercenary side of Parker by giving him something of a moral compass, which prompts him to toss $10,000 to the stranger’s wife before fleeing the scene.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
Earth hires a mercenary company that gamifies the eviction process.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercenary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercenary
Adjective
-
Carrey portrays Ebenezer Scrooge, a cantankerous, greedy old man visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him the error of his ways.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
-
The turning point in this contest, though, came when the Chiefs decided to get greedy on fourth-and-1 from their own 31-yard line.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The 23-year-old Shou, a lifelong Fremont resident, won out over hundreds of others eager to play 17-year-old Joe, a troubled San Gabriel Valley area high school student with schizophrenia whose distraught mom Irene (Liu, in a transformative performance) is dying of cancer.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Hosted by Variety’s Angelique Jackson and Marc Malkin, the pre-show will deliver exclusive access, must-see interviews and real-time coverage from the first spot on the carpet, serving as the ultimate destination for fans eager to experience the night unfold.—
William Earl,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Harlan has an avaricious family, each member of which has something to gain from his death.—
Anna Russell,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
-
What Netanyahu wants is not this peace deal or avaricious annexations, but to stay in power.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
L’Oréal, which was highly acquisitive in 2025, with deals to purchase Kering Beauty, Medik8 and ColorWow, as well as an additional 10 percent stake in Galderma, among other transactions, no doubt will continue enriching its portfolio in the new year.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Paramount Skydance completed its merger last year, and since then CEO David Ellison has been acquisitive.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mercenary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercenary. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share