hoggishness
/'hɔgiʃnis/
Definition
Noun: 1. An excessive desire for food; gluttony: The state or quality of being like a hog, characterized by excessive greed, especially for food. 2. Greedy or selfish behavior more generally: While the core meaning relates to food, it can extend to describe a pig-like, selfish, or coarse nature.
Usage
Hoggishness is a formal or literary noun used to criticize someone's extreme greed, particularly regarding eating. It implies a lack of manners and consideration for others. - His hoggishness at the buffet was embarrassing; he piled his plate high without regard for other guests. - The hoggishness of the corporation, consuming all the smaller competitors, was widely condemned.
Examples
- The novel criticizes the hoggishness of the aristocracy, contrasting it with the hunger of the poor.
- She was repulsed by his hoggishness, not just for the amount he ate but for the messy, noisy way he consumed it.
Advanced Usage
- "The hoggishness of his appetite": A common collocation emphasizing the excessive nature of the desire for food.
- Used in socio-economic or political commentary to metaphorically describe rapacious greed: .
Variants and Related Words
- Hoggish (adjective): Having the qualities of a hog; gluttonous, selfish, or coarse.
- He was criticized for his hoggish behavior at the dinner table.
- Hog (noun/verb): The animal; or to take selfishly.
- Piggishness (noun): A very close synonym, often used interchangeably.
Synonyms
- Gluttony: The habit or act of eating too much.
- Voracity: Extreme eagerness in consuming food (or anything).
- Rapacity: Aggressive greed (often for money or possessions, but can extend to food).
- Greediness: A more general term for intense and selfish desire.
Antonyms
- Abstemiousness: The practice of moderate eating and drinking.
- Temperance: Moderation or self-restraint, especially in eating and drinking.
- Altruism: Selfless concern for others (contrasting the selfish aspect of hoggishness).
Idioms and Phrases
- "Eat like a hog": To eat in a greedy, messy, and excessive manner. This idiom is the behavioral equivalent of .
- At the party, he ate like a hog, leaving very little for the others.
Noun
-
an excessive desire for food
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