Dictionary.com

rapacious

[ ruh-pey-shuhs ]
/ rəˈpeɪ ʃəs /
See synonyms for: rapacious / rapaciousness / rapacity on Thesaurus.com

adjective

given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed.
inordinately greedy; predatory; extortionate: a rapacious disposition.
(of animals) subsisting by the capture of living prey; predacious.

QUIZZES

LEARN THE SPANISH WORDS FOR THESE COMMON ANIMALS!

Are you learning Spanish? Or do you just have an interest in foreign languages? Either way, this quiz on Spanish words for animals is for you.
Question 1 of 13
How do you say “cat” 🐈 in Spanish?
gato/gata
cato/cata
gatto/gatta
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of rapacious

1645–55; <Latin rapāci- (stem of rapāx greedy, akin to rapere to seize; see rape1) + -ous

synonym study for rapacious

2. See avaricious.

OTHER WORDS FROM rapacious

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to rapacious

ferocious, greedy, voracious, ravenous, predatory, marauding, avaricious, furious, murderous, preying, savage, ravening

Example sentences from the Web for rapacious

British Dictionary definitions for rapacious

rapacious
/ (rəˈpeɪʃəs) /

adjective

practising pillage or rapine
greedy or grasping
(of animals, esp birds) subsisting by catching living prey

Derived forms of rapacious

rapaciously, adverbrapacity (rəˈpæsɪtɪ) or rapaciousness, noun

Word Origin for rapacious

C17: from Latin rapāx grasping, from rapere to seize
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