1
as in greedy
having a huge appetite
nothing livens things up like a whole team of rapacious basketball players descending upon the pizza parlor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in predatory
living by killing and eating other animals
rapacious mammals, such as coyotes, foxes, and bobcats
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mercenary
having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions
rapacious plunderers who despoiled the tombs in the ancient pyramids
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rapacious
The man is rapacious — a hungry ghost with a big mouth and an empty stomach.
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David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025
The sensationalized trial, every detail passed from rapacious reporters to a bloodthirsty public.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025
Black people are depicted as rapists and cannibals, Jews as rapacious and controlling, and white people who believe in a multicultural society as race traitors who also deserve to die.
—James Shapiro, The Atlantic, 18 July 2025
But the cynicism that has always thrummed underneath his high-concept comedies — the dehumanizing algorithms, the rapacious finance system — is more prominent in this slim, potent novel.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rapacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rapacious
Adjective
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Carrey portrays Ebenezer Scrooge, a cantankerous, greedy old man visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him the error of his ways.—
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The turning point in this contest, though, came when the Chiefs decided to get greedy on fourth-and-1 from their own 31-yard line.—
Adjective
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But instead of embracing public power to protect us from predatory fossil fuel corporations, Hochul has doubled down on dirty energy.—
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But the lawlessness embodied in spheres-of-influence politics would most likely unleash an ever more frenzied scramble for the continent’s resources by predatory midsize powers.—
Adjective
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The mercenary group for years propped up militant groups and authoritarian regimes in the Sahel in exchange for mineral resources — including huge concessions in Sudan’s gold mining industry.—
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Reuters reported in April 2019 that Prince had been shopping a plan to topple the Maduro regime using mercenary soldiers.—
Adjective
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Despite his limitations, Joe displayed an impressive degree of ascetic discipline and a ravenous desire for God.—
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Pixar populates this ocean with entertaining characters and unforgettable dangers, but the thrills won’t scare young viewers about taking a dip, even with the presence of a ravenous shark.—
Adjective
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Harlan has an avaricious family, each member of which has something to gain from his death.—
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What Netanyahu wants is not this peace deal or avaricious annexations, but to stay in power.—
Adjective
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The 23-year-old Shou, a lifelong Fremont resident, won out over hundreds of others eager to play 17-year-old Joe, a troubled San Gabriel Valley area high school student with schizophrenia whose distraught mom Irene (Liu, in a transformative performance) is dying of cancer.—
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Hosted by Variety’s Angelique Jackson and Marc Malkin, the pre-show will deliver exclusive access, must-see interviews and real-time coverage from the first spot on the carpet, serving as the ultimate destination for fans eager to experience the night unfold.—
Adjective
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L’Oréal, which was highly acquisitive in 2025, with deals to purchase Kering Beauty, Medik8 and ColorWow, as well as an additional 10 percent stake in Galderma, among other transactions, no doubt will continue enriching its portfolio in the new year.—
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Paramount Skydance completed its merger last year, and since then CEO David Ellison has been acquisitive.—
Cite this Entry
“Rapacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapacious. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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