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 Ultimately, our voracious demand for GPUs and AI is pushing electricity grids to their breaking point. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 Quasars are the extremely active supermassive black holes at the heart of some galaxies, furiously feeding on gas that is being shoveled towards their maw, and growing as a result of this voracious feeding. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 12 June 2026 An employee manual from Mace’s office that was leaked to the press outlined demands for television bookings—at least one per day for national outlets, and six per week for stations airing in her district—that spoke to a voracious appetite for attention. Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 9 June 2026 Even for a voracious diner like me, there’s a lot to keep track of. Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for voracious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for voracious
Adjective
  • 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
  • The Democratic Party was being greedy.
    Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 3 June 2026
Adjective
  • One was of Christopher Isherwood (an avid collector of his work) and his partner Don Bachardy.
    The Week UK, TheWeek, 20 June 2026
  • Born February 18, 1954, in Antigo, Bradley was an avid reader and history buff.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 20 June 2026
Adjective
  • Singing almost exclusively in Creole, B0YG1RL’s Vinette attacks nearly everything in his wake with ravenous intent.
    Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
  • Each has a ravenous need, the pursuits of which lead to a complex entanglement ending in one’s death.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Adjective
  • Siskel panned it, but Ebert gave it an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
    Linnea Wicklund, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
  • His soft opening events have brought in enthusiastic batters and sports fans.
    Jenna Thompson June 18, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
Adjective
  • Democrats and food security advocates worry the changes are leaving people hungry.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 June 2026
  • With fans receiving something unique for the morning, the day games have shown a propensity to draw a hungrier crowd than the late-night games across the tournament, Borst said.
    Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Adjective
  • While much has been made of the eight-floor Obama Presidential Museum, many in the communities around the soon-to-open presidential library complex are excited to enjoy the outdoor spaces with friends and family.
    Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 15 June 2026
  • Libraries open opportunities to get excited and relax, discover and reminisce, be challenged and comforted.
    Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Adjective
  • Fury’s personal preference is not known but his delight at returning to America at the weekend points to him being eager to fight there again.
    Chris McKenna, New York Times, 17 June 2026
  • Of course, any soccer fan will be eager to win the World Cup tickets, but the other Verizon Shine experiences on the docket are also incredibly covetable.
    Hannah Chubb, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2026
Adjective
  • The effect of Gaza on these particular swing voters lingers painfully in the thoughts of Harris’s most ardent supporters.
    Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
  • His Bernstein had visceral, vernacular punch; his Verdi was ardent and spry; his Britten had the right textural grit; his Mozart unfurled with complicated grace.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Voracious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voracious. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.

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