Definition of rapaciousnext
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as in predatory
living by killing and eating other animals rapacious mammals, such as coyotes, foxes, and bobcats

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of rapacious are gluttonous, ravenous, and voracious. While all these words mean "excessively greedy," rapacious often suggests excessive and utterly selfish acquisitiveness or avarice.

rapacious developers indifferent to environmental concerns

When can gluttonous be used instead of rapacious?

Although the words gluttonous and rapacious have much in common, 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

When could ravenous be used to replace rapacious?

The synonyms ravenous and rapacious are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 might voracious be a better fit than rapacious?

The meanings of voracious and rapacious largely overlap; however, 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 rapacious Those orcas were well within their rights to take their revenge, carrying out Mother Nature’s punishment against humanity for its rapacious depravity. Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026 The notion that Related is a rapacious developer being handed a giveaway ignores the history. Peter Peyser, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026 Sports franchises everywhere can be tacky, rapacious, incompetent, extortionate, and otherwise exploitative, but only because their customers, the fans, are essentially captives. Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026 In fairness, rapacious male characters like Nate and Cal are cast in an even more negative, gender-essentialist light. Judy Berman, Time, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rapacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rapacious
Adjective
  • Nature with its blind eyes and greedy fingers.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 June 2026
  • At his sentencing in 2024, Bailyn, the prosecutor, described Lorquet as a greedy criminal who fleeced his country at one of its weakest moments in history.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
Adjective
  • Uber argued that the attorneys were trying to line their pockets by forcing car-accident victims into predatory relationships with medical providers, while the attorneys accused the rideshare giant of trying to escape accountability by rewriting civil liability laws.
    Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 22 June 2026
  • More energy devoted to passing laws to protect consumers from predatory businesses and to erecting guardrails to prevent artificial intelligence companies from collecting and selling our data for private gain.
    Matt Martin, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Adjective
  • At the center is Russia’s Africa Corps, formerly Wagner Group — a mercenary network that has propped up President Faustin-Archange Touadéra’s government since 2018.
    Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 12 June 2026
  • But even measured in the most mercenary terms, using Medi-Cal funds to get Flores mental health care is a good investment.
    Megan Greenwell, Bloomberg, 9 June 2026
Adjective
  • If one team gets really ravenous for Rust and offers a significant package, Dubas will pull the trigger.
    Josh Yohe, New York Times, 16 June 2026
  • Singing almost exclusively in Creole, B0YG1RL’s Vinette attacks nearly everything in his wake with ravenous intent.
    Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
Adjective
  • Played by a Colman Domingo who is done up to look the most wax figurine of them all in a shellacking of makeup, prosthetics, and colored contacts, Joe is always either giving an avaricious open-mouthed leer or a cold-eyed glare.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
  • There’s a quasi-heist theme to The Christophers, which revolves around an acclaimed artist (McKellen), who has long since stopped making new work, and his avaricious children (Gunning and Corden) who try to enlist Coel to complete some of their dad’s unfinished paintings.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Now, the 49‑year‑old turns his attention to an NBA roster headlined by Flagg and a Mavericks team eager to return to championship contention.
    Doug Myers, CBS News, 24 June 2026
  • Some ships, eager to get out of harm’s the war’s way, may have their vessels towed tug their boats out of the strait before they’re cleaned.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • All this acquisitive activity has turned the majority of physicians into employees rather than independent operators.
    Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
  • Looking back on his 27 years with the bank, Gentry said the timing, loopholes, tax strategies and negotiations that gave the business its acquisitive edge were not because of dumb luck.
    Chase Jordan April 9, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Rapacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapacious. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.

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