Rapacious — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /rə-ˈpā-shəs/ ra·pa·cious

Meaning & Definition of Rapacious

Rapacious (adjective)

  1. excessively grasping or covetous
  2. living on prey
  3. ravenous

Rapacious (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having a huge appetite

    "nothing livens things up like a whole team of rapacious basketball players descending upon the pizza parlor"

    similar: edacious, esurient, gluttonous, greedy, hoggish, piggish, ravenous, swinish, voracious
    related: hearty, wolfish, devouring, gobbling, gorging, gormandizing, gulping, insatiable, unquenchable, unslakable, empty, famished, hungry, peckish (chiefly British), starved, starving, malnourished, underfed, undernourished
    near: content, full, glutted, sated, satiated, satisfied, stuffed

  2. living by killing and eating other animals

    "rapacious mammals, such as coyotes, foxes, and bobcats"

    similar: predaceous, predatory, raptorial
    related: carnivorous, aggressive, deadly, ferocious, fierce, savage, violent, untamed, wild
    near: herbivorous, vegetarian, gentle, submissive, tame

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

    "rapacious plunderers who despoiled the tombs in the ancient pyramids"

    similar: acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, grabby, grasping, greedy, mercenary, moneygrubbing
    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

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Rapacious

The most common words with a similar meaning to Rapacious:

edacious, esurient, gluttonous, greedy, hoggish, piggish, ravenous, swinish, voracious, predaceous, predatory, raptorial, acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, covetous, grabby, grasping, mercenary, moneygrubbing

Related Words for Rapacious

hearty, wolfish, devouring, gobbling, gorging, gormandizing, gulping, insatiable, unquenchable, unslakable, empty, famished, hungry, peckish, starved, starving, malnourished, underfed, undernourished, carnivorous, aggressive, deadly, ferocious, fierce, savage, violent, untamed, wild, commercialistic, materialistic

Near Antonyms of Rapacious

content, full, glutted, sated, satiated, satisfied, stuffed, herbivorous, vegetarian, gentle, submissive, tame, nonmaterialistic, altruistic, bounteous, bountiful, charitable, freehanded, generous, greathearted, handsome, liberal, magnanimous, munificent, openhanded, openhearted, selfless, unselfish, unsparing, controlled

Word Forms of Rapacious

Derived words: rapaciously (adverb), rapaciousness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Rapacious

Latin rapāc-, rapāx "given to seizing or catching things (as prey), carrying away, excessively grasping" (from rapere "to seize and carry off" + -āc-, -āx, deverbal suffix denoting habitual or successful performance) + -ious rapid:1, audacious

First known use: 1651

Frequently Asked Questions about Rapacious

What does "Rapacious" mean?

"Rapacious" means excessively grasping or covetous. As an adjective, it is defined as: excessively grasping or covetous. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Rapacious"?

Other words for "Rapacious" include edacious, esurient, gluttonous, greedy, hoggish, piggish, ravenous and swinish. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Rapacious" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Rapacious"?

There are 70 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Rapacious". Common alternatives include edacious, esurient, gluttonous, greedy, hoggish, piggish, ravenous, swinish, voracious and predaceous.

How do you use "Rapacious" in a sentence?

Examples of "Rapacious" in a sentence: "nothing livens things up like a whole team of rapacious basketball players descending upon the pizza parlor"; "rapacious mammals, such as coyotes, foxes, and bobcats"; "rapacious plunderers who despoiled the tombs in the ancient pyramids".

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

"Rapacious" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Rapacious"?

"Rapacious" is pronounced /rə-ˈpā-shəs/ and divided into syllables as ra·pa·cious.

What is the origin of the word "Rapacious"?

"Rapacious" comes from Latin rapāc-, rapāx "given to seizing or catching things (as prey), carrying away, excessively grasping" (from rapere "to seize and carry off" + -āc-, -āx, deverbal suffix denoting habitual or successful performance) + -ious rapid:1, audacious. First known use: 1651.

What is another word for "Rapacious" meaning "having a huge appetite"?

When "Rapacious" (adjective) means having a huge appetite, synonyms include edacious, esurient, gluttonous, greedy, hoggish and piggish.