Synonym Chooser

How is the word voracious different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of voracious are gluttonous, rapacious, and ravenous. While all these words mean "excessively greedy," voracious applies especially to habitual gorging with food or drink.

teenagers are often voracious eaters

When could gluttonous be used to replace voracious?

In some situations, the words gluttonous and voracious are roughly equivalent. However, gluttonous applies to one who delights in eating or acquiring things especially beyond the point of necessity or satiety.

an admiral who was gluttonous for glory

When can rapacious be used instead of voracious?

While the synonyms rapacious and voracious are close in meaning, rapacious often suggests excessive and utterly selfish acquisitiveness or avarice.

rapacious developers indifferent to environmental concerns

When might ravenous be a better fit than voracious?

While in some cases nearly identical to voracious, ravenous implies excessive hunger and suggests violent or grasping methods of dealing with food or with whatever satisfies an appetite.

a nation with a ravenous lust for territorial expansion

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of voracious Because as water temperatures begin to cool, smallmouth bass become voracious. Kubie Brown, Outdoor Life, 3 Oct. 2024 The species, with its efficient reproductive capabilities and voracious appetite, is creating a cascading effect of loss within the ecosystem of the Everglades and surrounding areas, Bartoszek said. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024 Going Deep Comb jellies, or ctenophores, are voracious predators in fragile bodies. Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 20 Oct. 2024 Where a few of the more voracious readers are surely lurking on secret Goodreads accounts, others may well treat the latest buzzy novel a bit like a trendy accessory. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for voracious 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for voracious
Adjective
  • Some wonder what's wrong with American society; some see a wakeup call for greedy health insurers.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Even as a single, childless woman, which society calls failure, my life always felt charmed, so charmed that asking God for more felt greedy.
    Essence, Essence, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Looking for more projector options for the Netflix binger or avid gamer on your list?
    Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Beyond the yacht’s elegant exterior (which was designed in-house), the yacht is an avid adventurer.
    Katia Damborsky, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The continental United States is jam-packed with reminders of our ravenous oil appetite.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 5 Dec. 2024
  • But a sloppy end of the third quarter, with more miscues in the fourth, and the ravenous home crowd keeping the energy up, gave France an opening.
    David Aldridge, The Athletic, 10 Aug. 2024
Adjective
  • Advertisement Prospective renters shouldn’t get too excited, however.
    Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
  • And, in fact, the American consumer today, as well as corporate America, is quite excited about what the Trump administration is talking about, and the business environment is very positive.
    CBS News, CBS News, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Sometimes there’s live music, and the specials change daily, but there’s always a crowd of rosy-nosed cross-country skiers, fresh off the trails and hungry, clustered in a handful of tables in the middle of the gear and rental shop.
    Graham Averill, Outside Online, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Mills asked that Neely's death have meaning, and urged that others, instead of becoming physical with someone who may be hungry, offer them food.
    Janelle Griffith, NBC News, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Self-esteem: Feedback from others can make all the difference in a journey of self-improvement, and your participation will be assessed by a diverse group of reviewers eager to offer their opinions not only on your appearance, but also on your overall demeanor and person.
    Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Airlines, especially, have been eager to point fingers at short staffing in control towers as a major cause of delays, especially during peak travel seasons.
    Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • While most of the 860-plus comments were congratulatory, many were predictably less enthusiastic.
    Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Nobody has been more enthusiastic than Bella Hadid.
    Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Trump had already nominated Kash Patel, an ardent Trump supporter, to be Wray’s replacement, thus signaling his intent to fire Wray upon taking office.
    Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
  • My own family are ardent supporters of access to telemedicine.
    Judy Stone, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

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Thesaurus Entries Near voracious

Cite this Entry

“Voracious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voracious. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on voracious

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