grabby
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Excessively eager to acquire or possess something, especially material wealth or advantage: Describes a person or attitude characterized by an immoderate, often selfish, desire to obtain more than is needed or fair.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The landlord was criticized for being too grabby, constantly raising rents beyond what was reasonable.
- She avoided doing business with him because of his grabby reputation in negotiations.
- The company's grabby tactics to monopolize the market drew regulatory scrutiny.
Advanced Usage
- "grabby hands": A metaphorical or literal description of someone who is quick to take things for themselves.
- Keep an eye on your snacks around him; he has grabby hands.
- Used informally to describe media (e.g., headlines, advertisements) that aggressively seek attention.
- The article's grabby headline was designed to get more clicks online.
Variants and Related Words
- Grab (verb): To seize suddenly or quickly.
- Grasping (adjective): Eager to get money or possessions; avaricious. (A close synonym, often used in more formal contexts).
- Greedy (adjective): Having an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth or food. (A broader synonym).
Synonyms
- Avaricious: Having an extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
- Covetous: Having a great desire to possess something belonging to someone else.
- Acquisitive: Excessively interested in acquiring money or material things.
- Rapacious: Aggressively greedy or grasping.
Antonyms
- Generous: Showing a readiness to give more of something than is strictly necessary or expected.
- Altruistic: Showing a selfless concern for the well-being of others.
- Content: Satisfied with what one has; not wanting more.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "Grabby as a toddler": An informal comparison implying a childish, uncontrolled desire to take things.
- He was as grabby as a toddler when the free samples were passed around.
- "Have grabby tendencies": To exhibit a pattern of selfishly wanting to acquire things.
- The manager's grabby tendencies made the employees distrustful.
Adjective
- immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth
- they are avaricious and will do anything for money
- casting covetous eyes on his neighbor's fields
- a grasping old miser
- grasping commercialism
- greedy for money and power
- grew richer and greedier
- prehensile employers stingy with raises for their employees