voracious
Americanadjective
-
craving or consuming large quantities of food.
a voracious appetite.
-
exceedingly eager or avid.
voracious readers; a voracious collector.
- Synonyms:
- insatiable, rapacious
adjective
-
devouring or craving food in great quantities
-
very eager or unremitting in some activity
voracious reading
Synonym Usage
See ravenous.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of voracious
First recorded in 1625–35; voraci(ty) + -ous
Explanation
Voracious is an adjective used to describe a wolflike appetite. It might be a craving for food or for something else, such as power, but the word usually denotes an unflattering greediness. Voracious comes from the Latin vorāre, "to devour." The word is usually associated with swallowing or devouring food in a ravenous manner, but it can be used of someone intensely involved in any activity. Pierre Salinger referred to President Kennedy as a "voracious reader," while Robert Bakker once likened the IRS to a "voracious, small-minded predator."
Vocabulary lists containing voracious
Eat Your Words
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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.
His daughter, though, was a voracious reader, becoming a champion of Appalachian authors like Adriana Trigiani, Lee Smith and Silas House, and seeing literacy and education as its own kind of salvation.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
"I have noticed it loves fried rice a lot! The way he eats up my fried rice leftovers - very voracious," laughs Promise.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
There is also AI’s voracious demand for financing, which could drive up borrowing costs, as well as its impact on productivity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The comedian has been a voracious reader since childhood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Grounded or not, they’ve all become voracious readers.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
