Definition of voraciousnext

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of voracious are gluttonous, rapacious, and ravenous. While all these words mean "excessively greedy," voracious applies especially to habitual gorging with food or drink.

teenagers are often voracious eaters

When could gluttonous be used to replace voracious?

In some situations, the words gluttonous and voracious are roughly equivalent. 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 can rapacious be used instead of voracious?

While the synonyms rapacious and voracious are close in meaning, rapacious often suggests excessive and utterly selfish acquisitiveness or avarice.

rapacious developers indifferent to environmental concerns

When might ravenous be a better fit than voracious?

While in some cases nearly identical to voracious, 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

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 voracious The public outrage over data centers, which the Post said has inspired 375 bills in state legislatures so far, embodies a concern far beyond their voracious demands for land, electricity and water. — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026 California lawmakers advance sweeping bills to curb Big Tech’s power, targeting addictive social media, artificial intelligence in the workplace and voracious data centers amid mounting public anxiety over technology’s harms. — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 The voracious eaters eat nearly half their body weight each day, and in turn, can drastically shift food webs. — Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 27 Aug. 2026 Trump is a voracious consumer of media and pushes out commentary on his social media platform in real-time. — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for voracious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for voracious
Adjective
  • Of course, more collaboration means broader deal-making and, this being Canada, producers and potential international partners are warned not to greedy or short-sighted, but to think long term.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Anyone who stands in front of De Kooning’s urgent, sensuously greedy drawings, with their writhing contours, cacophonous colors, and perverse processes, can feel the force of that craving.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Deutsch, an avid gardener, worked with Manscapers on the landscape design and opted for boxwoods, more evergreens and hydrangeas to frame each space of the outdoor area.
    — Matt Goulet, Architectural Digest, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Based in Malibu and described as an avid surfer and skater, Gerber had opened up about his mental health struggles and drug use in recent years.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • After a rancher’s dog discovered a ferret colony in Wyoming, scientists rallied to save the species nearly undone by humans’ ravenous expansion.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The Grampus went adrift, and its ravenous crew was never heard from again—until now.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • With such a formidable roster, Team USA should provide enough star power to fill the arena during weigh-ins, Forte said, adding that large, enthusiastic crowds will impress the IOC.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has been enthusiastic about AI advances, but his speech at the 2026 World AI Conference in Shanghai urgently expressed the need for strong AI regulations and oversight.
    — Stephen Collins, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The chips are power-hungry (a ChatGPT AI query consumes about ten times as much energy as a normal Google search) and also generate a lot of heat, which requires cooling systems.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 27 Sep. 2026
  • While global coal demand is plateauing, energy-hungry Southeast Asia has been trending in the opposite direction.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Wall Street isn’t particularly excited about CagriSema, whose previous late-stage clinical trials disappointed investors because the drug showed weight loss efficacy below expectations.
    — Annika Kim Constantino,Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Winters said his mission is still driven in large part by getting kids excited about playing a violin or cello.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The prompt makes the room tense, eager, mutually supportive and quietly competitive.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
  • All in attendance—whether new to the brand or eager to discover something—simply wanted a conversational experience to demystify the scientific aspect that backs the brand’s formulas.
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Perez, now 26, has spent much of the past decade growing an ardent and loyal fanbase with her many heart-rendering songs about grief and yearning for something out of reach.
    — Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Critics praised the work, but only the most ardent Pattinson heads turned out and most of the films were more admired than seen.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 27 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Voracious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voracious. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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