Synonyms of ravenous

ravenous

adjective

ˈra-və-nəs 

as in greedy

having a huge appetite

we were ravenous after our canoe paddling, and the chili bubbling over the campfire smelled heavenly

Synonyms & Similar Words

• greedy
• hungry
• voracious
• starving
• gluttonous
• starved
• rapacious
• piggish
• hoggish
• swinish
• edacious
• esurient
• insatiable
• wolfish
• devouring
• unquenchable
• famished
• gobbling
• hearty
• gorging
• peckish
• malnourished
• gormandizing
• underfed
• undernourished
• gulping
• unslakable
• empty

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• satisfied
• full
• content
• stuffed
• sated
• satiated
• glutted

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of ravenous are gluttonous, rapacious, and voracious. While all these words mean "excessively greedy," 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

In what contexts can gluttonous take the place of ravenous?

The meanings of gluttonous and ravenous largely overlap; however, 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 might rapacious be a better fit than ravenous?

The words rapacious and ravenous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rapacious often suggests excessive and utterly selfish acquisitiveness or avarice.

rapacious developers indifferent to environmental concerns

When can voracious be used instead of ravenous?

The words voracious and ravenous can be used in similar contexts, but voracious applies especially to habitual gorging with food or drink.

teenagers are often voracious eaters

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ravenous

The ravenous larvae create ghastly wounds that can be deadly to livestock and wild animals. —Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025

Sawflies are ravenous insects that feed on a wide variety of landscape trees, shrubs, and conifers. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025

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, 25 Aug. 2025

The one 49ers player who was perhaps hardest hit by the ravenous injury bug was running back Christian McCaffrey. —Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Aug. 2025