PREDATORY Synonyms: 18 Similar and Opposite Words

predatory

adjective

ˈpre-də-ˌtȯr-ē

Definition of predatory

as in rapacious

living by killing and eating other animals hawks are predatory and pose a danger to rabbits and other pets

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 predatory This is nothing less than a predatory act to replicate the city of Sunny Isles all over Florida, right under our noses. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026 There is perhaps a subtle critique here, of the predatory instincts of the filmmaker towards their subject, of the desire to invade someone else’s life and shape their reality according to your own will. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026 If his plea is accepted, court documents say Wetzel will be put on probation for five years and will be added to the predatory offender registry for 10 years. — Wcco Staff, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026 To legitimize its role as something more than predatory domination, Washington launched the Arab-Israeli peace process in hopes of integrating its Arab allies and Israel into a common security framework. — Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for predatory

Recent Examples of Synonyms for predatory

Adjective

The absurdist look at greed and climate change, reality and the distorting power of media, feckless world leaders and rapacious billionaires, struggled to get off the ground.

— Brent Lang, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
And as independent news sites go belly-up as a result of a lack of traffic, rapacious AI entrepreneurs are circling like buzzards.

— Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of rapacious

Adjective

These two phases of work are joined by Serra’s implicit disavowal of abstraction as a form of imagemaking in favor of an object’s aggressive purchase on the real.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Her challenger is Herb Morgan, a Republican from San Diego who promises a more aggressive approach to the job.

— Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of aggressive

Adjective

These food-crops also benefit from the work performed by predaceous insects that control populations of crop-eating invertebrates.

— Bruce Beehler, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2025
Look for and conserve natural enemies such as predaceous bugs, lacewings, lady beetles, and syrphids.

— The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2025

Definition of predaceous

Adjective

Given the absence of venom, the researchers propose that these arachnids likely use strong raptorial pedipalps (claw-like appendages).

— Jay Kakade July 13, New Atlas, 14 July 2026
These predators patrol, stalk and swiftly capture their prey with raptorial front legs.

— Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2026

Definition of raptorial

Adjective

Responsible for the devastating Black Death pandemic of 1346 to 1353, this deadly bacterium claimed between 25 and 50 million lives in Europe alone.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
What knocks him for a deadly loop is a powdered, pampered piece of work called Mildred (Elizabeth Teeter).

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of deadly

Adjective

Pursuing Leamas and Doris are Josef Fiedler and Hans-Dieter Mundt, two Stasi operatives whose ferocious desire to shut down the intelligence leak is matched only by their internal rivalry and an iron will to outmatch each other.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Pursuing Leamas and Doris are Josef Fiedler (Brühl) and Hans-Dieter Mundt (Kammerer), two Stasi operatives whose ferocious desire to shut down the intelligence leak is matched only by their internal rivalry and an iron will to outmatch each other.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of ferocious

Adjective

That set the stage for a strange wild-card game against Philadelphia in which the Eagles built a 51-7 lead and held on despite the Lions scoring 30 points down the stretch.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Close to 10,000 fans who plunked down $10 a ticket on Saturday to essentially witness a glorified practice at the Sixers’ home arena went wild for James' debut.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of wild

Adjective

The Indian pilot who fought off a savage attack by his copilot and helped prevent an apparent hijack of a Flydubai plane heading to Israel with more than 170 people on board is being hailed as a hero.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index weathered a savage 30% drawdown, has been choppily trendless for two months, then in recent days finally broke above its downtrend and surmounted the 50-day moving average.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of savage

Browse Nearby Words

predators

predatory

predecease

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“Predatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predatory. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of predatory

adjective

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