predatory

adjective

pred·​a·​to·​ry ˈpre-də-ˌtȯr-ē 

1

a

: of, relating to, or practicing plunder, pillage, or rapine

b

: inclined or intended to injure or exploit others for personal gain or profit

predatory pricing practices

2

: living by predation : predaceous

also : adapted to predation

Synonyms

• predaceous
• predacious
• rapacious
• raptorial

Examples of predatory in a Sentence

Hawks are predatory and may pose a danger to rabbits and other small pets.

The company made millions for investors but clearly engaged in predatory lending practices.

Recent Examples on the Web

The extent of that predatory behavior became starkly evident when Ventura described how Combs allegedly raped her in the living room of her LA apartment in 2018. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 19 May 2025

Bars shouldn’t let people buy drinks for strangers and shouldn’t facilitate this very outdated—and quite frankly predatory—practice. —Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 May 2025

Forest monkeys, which have relatively simple social groups, mostly use vocalizations to manage predatory threats, Townsend said. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 11 May 2025

Tablets: Secrets of the Clay by Dunya Mikhail Sue Halpern For the Love of Money Sarah Wynn-Williams’s damning memoir of working at Facebook exposes the predatory cupidity of the company’s executives. —Rachel Nolan, The New York Review of Books, 9 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for predatory

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• category
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• dormitory
• excretory
• extempore
• feudatory

Kids Definition

predatory

adjective

pred·​a·​to·​ry ˈpred-ə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

1

: of, relating to, or marked by robbing or using others for personal gain

predatory raids

2

: living by predation

predatory animals

Legal Definition

predatory

adjective

pred·​a·​to·​ry ˈpre-də-ˌtōr-ē 

1

: inclined or intended to injure competitors by unfair means

subject to antitrust liability for predatory conduct

—National Law Journal

predatory bidding

2

: inclined or intended to injure or exploit others for personal gain or profit

predatory loans

3

: of or relating to a sexual predator

predatory assault