Definition of voraciousnext

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

Example 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 Smith, whose second book in the The Rose Bargain doubled the sales of the first, proving her audience’s voracious appetite, says this is a book that’s been a long time coming. — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026 The public outrage over data centers, which the Post said has inspired 375 bills in state legislatures so far, embodies a concern far beyond their voracious demands for land, electricity and water. — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026 California lawmakers advance sweeping bills to curb Big Tech’s power, targeting addictive social media, artificial intelligence in the workplace and voracious data centers amid mounting public anxiety over technology’s harms. — Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 The voracious eaters eat nearly half their body weight each day, and in turn, can drastically shift food webs. — Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for voracious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for voracious
Adjective
  • Her former research partner has absconded with her life’s work, presumably to put toward greedy human means of Manifest Destiny.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Digger follows greedy, careless Digger as his company inadvertently catalyzes a disaster with global repercussions—then, whoopsie, sets off another for good measure.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Broadcaster, journalist, Today anchor and avid Wordle player Savannah Guthrie is set to host.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Nemacolin is beloved by families looking for an active getaway, as well as avid golfers.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • After a rancher’s dog discovered a ferret colony in Wyoming, scientists rallied to save the species nearly undone by humans’ ravenous expansion.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The Grampus went adrift, and its ravenous crew was never heard from again—until now.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Another enthusiastic response at the summit came from Vermont, formerly home to the 650 MW Vermont-Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, which closed in 2014.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
  • But while an enthusiastic and wider-than-ever audience may be listening now, the Grammys have long appeared inured to such outside influence.
    — Leila Cobo, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Private investors often tell more diverse stories, take more risks and try to reach an audience that is hungry for content, said Lata Krishnan, a tech investor entering the Hollywood market.
    — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The opening two contests couldn’t have gone much worse for the Hawks, and a hungry Sabres team awaits them in Buffalo on Saturday.
    — Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • More than 80% of Chinese felt excited about AI applications, KPMG reported last year; only half that percentage of Americans felt the same.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Many studies have found that children get excited about getting their own books in the mail, addressed to them personally.
    — Alex H. Poole, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The service Everyone on staff is friendly and eager to assist.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Data center builders, semiconductor companies, power providers and cybersecurity firms are far less constrained, according to Cramer, because lenders remain eager to finance their growth.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Germany has been one of the most ardent supporters of Ukraine since the early days of the Russian invasion, supplying both military and financial aid.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Which one of these subtle, touching novels is guaranteed to live up to my ardent report?
    — Lola Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Voracious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voracious. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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