1
as in greedy
having a huge appetite
nothing livens things up like a whole team of rapacious basketball players descending upon the pizza parlor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in predatory
living by killing and eating other animals
rapacious mammals, such as coyotes, foxes, and bobcats
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mercenary
having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions
rapacious plunderers who despoiled the tombs in the ancient pyramids
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rapacious
Black people are depicted as rapists and cannibals, Jews as rapacious and controlling, and white people who believe in a multicultural society as race traitors who also deserve to die.
—
James Shapiro, The Atlantic, 18 July 2025
But the cynicism that has always thrummed underneath his high-concept comedies — the dehumanizing algorithms, the rapacious finance system — is more prominent in this slim, potent novel.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
In this, the first installment, there are two deaths—first, of a local contractor with ties to the underworld, then of the retirement village’s rapacious developer.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 25 June 2025
In a very short period of time, Trump had decided to go back in time to roughly 100 years ago when Europe meant nothing to us other than rapacious capitalists and communists all out to get us and drag us in to their nefarious ways.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rapacious
James Shapiro, The Atlantic, 18 July 2025
But the cynicism that has always thrummed underneath his high-concept comedies — the dehumanizing algorithms, the rapacious finance system — is more prominent in this slim, potent novel.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
In this, the first installment, there are two deaths—first, of a local contractor with ties to the underworld, then of the retirement village’s rapacious developer.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 25 June 2025
In a very short period of time, Trump had decided to go back in time to roughly 100 years ago when Europe meant nothing to us other than rapacious capitalists and communists all out to get us and drag us in to their nefarious ways.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rapacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rapacious
Adjective
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Horizen's greedy leadership, then, is thrilled by the arrival of a cutthroat AI (also played by Daniels, this time in a black wig) willing to maximize profits at any cost.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
26 Aug. 2025
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Given the already substantial spend on incoming transfers, suggesting the club needs more, possibly sending its spending past the $500 million mark, seems absurd, almost greedy.—
James Nalton,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Advocate for laws that promote financial education access, curb predatory lending and support economic inclusion.—
Kevin Cohee,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Those who tried were often steered into predatory land contracts — unregulated deals that offered none of the protections of a real mortgage and were designed to fail.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Both sides need mercenaries to survive and this box provides a campaign framework for running a mercenary company willing to die for that almighty C-Bill.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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In Jurassic World Rebirth, Johansson leads a dangerous expedition as mercenary Zora Bennett, building a rapport with Bailey's character: super-smart paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Screwworms—or technically New World Screwworms (NWS)—are parasitic flies that spawn hundreds of ravenous larvae in the wounds and orifices of a wide range of warm-blooded animals.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
25 Aug. 2025
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For seven years, Michael Polsky has been trying to build a high-voltage power line from the windswept prairies of Kansas to the ravenous electrical grids of the Midwest and East Coast.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Manipulating these obviously very greedy and avaricious [people] is still kind of beneath his skills.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Aug. 2025
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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
Adjective
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What started as a one-off Eventbrite invitation to a pop-up called Mic Drop Workshop has, seven years later, grown into the leading pipeline of women speakers ready for the stage; and the first stop for event planners eager to bring more female voices to the mic.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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Head coach Dave Canales, who met with Hooker twice during the pre-draft process, was eager to work with him, and the 27-year-old QB was quick to accept the Panthers’ offer as his official NFL second chance.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Retail e-commerce penetration had surged during the pandemic, which brought a rush of acquisitive capital into the space.—
Lien De Pau,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Rapacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapacious. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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