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Synonyms

grabby

American  
[grab-ee] / ˈgræb i /

adjective

grabbier, grabbiest
  1. tending to grab or grasp for gain; greedy.

    a grabby ticket scalper.

  2. Slang. provoking immediate attention or interest; arresting.

    a poster with some really grabby artwork.

  3. having a capacity for or tendency toward holding, grasping, or sticking.

    Car tires that are too grabby waste fuel.


grabby British  
/ ˈɡræbɪ /

adjective

  1. greedy or selfish

  2. direct, stimulating, or attention-grabbing

    grabbier opening paragraphs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of grabby

First recorded in 1905–10; grab 1 + -y 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

With “Sheriff Country,” the most popular series on Bruckheimer’s CBS roster, his team spins a grabby tale for 2026 while grinding out the network quota of a 20-episode season.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 7, 2026

He and his team have supercharged his ability to connect too, whether that's with grabby videos on social media or chats on his own podcast.

From BBC Jan. 31, 2026

The hotel’s dilapidation — to say nothing of its grubby, grabby, mostly male clientele — is a far cry from the yacht parties the women were recently enjoying in Sydney.

From New York Times Oct. 5, 2023

No, Corporate America had just gotten mysteriously grabby.

From Washington Post May 2, 2022

He would rather talk to Frolic, the old, overweight dog asleep on the floor, than to Matthew and Annabelle, with their grabby hands and screechy giggles.

From "Son" by Lois Lowry

Writer-director Paul Shoulberg effectively captures the spooky, “Shining”-like vibe of Koryta’s story; although given the rich source material, this movie should be a lot grabbier than it is.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 25, 2022

And I’m so sorry you had to rehome your dog as your baby got grabbier.

From Slate Nov. 5, 2018

Certainly Earthquake's phony vibes are grabbier than any of the writing or acting, which is perfunctory even by the rather primitive standards of the disaster genre.

From Time Magazine Archive

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