rapacious

[ruh-pey-shuhs]

adjective

1. given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed.

2. inordinately greedy; predatory; extortionate.

   a rapacious disposition.

   Synonyms: grasping, voracious, ravenous
   Antonyms: generous

3. (of animals) subsisting by the capture of living prey; predacious.

rapacious

/ rəˈpæsɪtɪ, rəˈpeɪʃəs /

adjective

1. practising pillage or rapine

2. greedy or grasping

3. (of animals, esp birds) subsisting by catching living prey

Other Word Forms

• rapaciously adverb
• rapacity noun
• rapaciousness noun
• unrapacious adjective
• unrapaciously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of rapacious¹

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin rapāci- (stem of rapāx “greedy,” akin to rapere “to seize”; rape ¹ ) + -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of rapacious¹

C17: from Latin rapāx grasping, from rapere to seize

Synonym Study

See avaricious.

Example Sentences

Nowadays, they qualify as escapism confirming our assumptions about ridiculous, rapacious people, which is terribly fun.

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When their rapacious cousin Charles appears, hoping to find buried treasure in the house and romancing the “pink and white and golden” Constance, Merricat takes drastic action.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

There’s only one thing worse than being exploited by rapacious capitalists and that’s not being exploited by them.

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Mr. Modi would do well to heed complaints by ordinary people in the world’s largest democracy and curb rapacious officials’ power to extract bribes.

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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.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ferocious 
• greedy 
• marauding 
• predatory 
• ravenous 
• voracious