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
Relevance
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
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
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
-
Suddenly, Mickey is offering him a chance to play the main stage, which sets Sam’s greedier instincts into overdrive.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2025
-
But his greedy schemes and her desire to keep her dog immortal led to the downfall of her once-thriving business and turned her into a woman on the run.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
On average, the matador bugs increased their waving behavior seven times more in the presence of the predatory mantids.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Advocate for laws that promote financial education access, curb predatory lending and support economic inclusion.—
Kevin Cohee,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The relevance of The Lord is impossible to ignore, especially in the character of a British journalist, who is extremely detached and mercenary.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Sawflies are ravenous insects that feed on a wide variety of landscape trees, shrubs, and conifers.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Manipulating these obviously very greedy and avaricious [people] is still kind of beneath his skills.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Aug. 2025
-
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
-
Employees are eager to experiment with AI tools, but unclear policies and a lack of training fuel secrecy instead of confidence.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Wrapped in a bulky down jacket, Putin greeted residents eager to meet him.—
Yegor Mostovshikov,
The Dial,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Cybersecurity providers are becoming more acquisitive, with some looking to offer a full platform of products to customers that are seeking to save money by reducing vendors.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rapacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapacious. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share