Grabby — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈgra-bē/ grab·by

Meaning & Definition of Grabby

Grabby (adjective)

  1. tending to grab, grasping, greedy
  2. having the power to grab the attention

Grabby (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions

    "very young children tend to be grabby and often refuse to share"

    similar: acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, grasping, greedy, mercenary, moneygrubbing, rapacious
    related: commercialistic, materialistic, philistine, desirous, eager, itchy, lickerish, miserly, hoggish, piggish, piggy, swinish, devouring, gluttonous, gobbling, insatiable, ravenous, unquenchable, voracious, egocentric, egoistic, egotistic, self-centered, self-seeking, discontent, discontented, malcontent, unsatisfied, begrudging, grudging, resentful
    near: nonmaterialistic, altruistic, bounteous, bountiful, charitable, freehanded, generous, greathearted, handsome, liberal, magnanimous, munificent, openhanded, openhearted, selfless, unselfish, unsparing, controlled, moderate, restrained, temperate, content, sated, satisfied

  2. likely to attract attention

    "a tabloid that invariably favors grabby headlines, even for underwhelming stories"

    similar: arresting, bodacious, bold, brilliant, catchy, commanding, conspicuous, dramatic, emphatic, eye-catching, flamboyant, kenspeckle (chiefly Scottish), marked, noisy, noticeable, prominent, pronounced, remarkable, showy, splashy, striking
    related: detectable, discernible, observable, perceptible, recognizable, visible, outstanding, salient, distinguished, eminent, impressive, notable, noteworthy, highlighted, spotlighted, flagrant, glaring, howling, screaming, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, jazzy, loud, meretricious, swank, tawdry, highfalutin, ostentatious, pretentious, extravagant, fancy, florid, glittery, spectacular, opulent, ornate, overdone, overwrought, absorbing, engrossing, enthralling, fascinating, interesting, riveting
    opposite: inconspicuous, unemphatic, unflamboyant, unnoticeable, unobtrusive, unremarkable, unshowy
    near: subtle, concealed, hidden, shrouded, dim, faint, obscure, insignificant, undistinguished, unimportant, modest, unaffected, unassuming, unpretentious, conservative, plain, quiet, simple, understated, muted, restrained, subdued, toned-down, unflashy

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Grabby

The most common words with a similar meaning to Grabby:

Chiefly Scottish: kenspeckle
acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, grasping, greedy, mercenary, moneygrubbing, rapacious, arresting, bodacious, bold, brilliant, catchy, commanding, conspicuous, dramatic, emphatic, eye-catching, flamboyant, marked, noisy, noticeable, prominent, pronounced, remarkable, showy, splashy, striking

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Grabby

Words with the opposite meaning of Grabby:

inconspicuous, unemphatic, unflamboyant, unnoticeable, unobtrusive, unremarkable, unshowy

Related Words for Grabby

commercialistic, materialistic, philistine, desirous, eager, itchy, lickerish, miserly, hoggish, piggish, piggy, swinish, devouring, gluttonous, gobbling, insatiable, ravenous, unquenchable, voracious, egocentric, egoistic, egotistic, self-centered, self-seeking, discontent, discontented, malcontent, unsatisfied, begrudging, grudging

Near Antonyms of Grabby

nonmaterialistic, altruistic, bounteous, bountiful, charitable, freehanded, generous, greathearted, handsome, liberal, magnanimous, munificent, openhanded, openhearted, selfless, unselfish, unsparing, controlled, moderate, restrained, temperate, content, sated, satisfied, subtle, concealed, hidden, shrouded, dim, faint

Word Forms of Grabby

Inflections: grabbier, grabbiest

Origin & Etymology of Grabby

First known use: 1910

Frequently Asked Questions about Grabby

What does "Grabby" mean?

"Grabby" means tending to grab, grasping, greedy. As an adjective, it is defined as: tending to grab, grasping, greedy. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Grabby"?

Other words for "Grabby" include acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, grasping, greedy and mercenary. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Grabby" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Grabby"?

There are 108 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Grabby". Common alternatives include acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, grasping, greedy, mercenary, moneygrubbing and rapacious.

What is the opposite of "Grabby"?

Antonyms of "Grabby" include inconspicuous, unemphatic, unflamboyant, unnoticeable, unobtrusive, unremarkable and unshowy. Near antonyms include nonmaterialistic, altruistic, bounteous and bountiful.

How do you use "Grabby" in a sentence?

Examples of "Grabby" in a sentence: "very young children tend to be grabby and often refuse to share"; "a tabloid that invariably favors grabby headlines, even for underwhelming stories".

Is "Grabby" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Grabby" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Grabby"?

"Grabby" is pronounced /ˈgra-bē/ and divided into syllables as grab·by.

What is the origin of the word "Grabby"?

First known use: 1910.