predacious
- Adjective:
- Living by preying on other organisms: Describes an animal that hunts, kills, and eats other animals for sustenance.
- Given to victimizing others for personal gain: Describes a person or entity that exploits or preys on others in a ruthless, often greedy manner.
Adjective (Biological): The hawk is a predacious bird, swooping down to catch rodents. Lions are predacious hunters at the top of the food chain.
Adjective (Figurative/Human): The company was accused of predacious lending practices that trapped people in debt. He warned against the predacious nature of certain online scams.
"Predacious instincts": Refers to the inherent, natural drive to hunt or exploit. The documentary explored the predacious instincts common to many mammalian species.
"Predacious competition": Describes ruthlessly aggressive competition in business or economics. The predacious competition in the industry drove several smaller firms out of business.
Predaceous (adj): An alternative spelling with the same meaning, often used in biological contexts. The predaceous beetle feeds on aphids.
Predator (n): An organism or person that preys on others.
- Predatory (adj): Closely synonymous, meaning inclined to prey on others. It is more commonly used than "predacious."
- Rapacious: Excessively greedy and predatory.
- Voracious: Wanting or consuming great quantities, often of food.
- Exploitative: Taking unfair advantage of someone or something for personal gain.
- "Live a predacious life": To sustain oneself by preying on others.
The word predacious connects biological behavior (animals hunting for food) with human behavior (ruthless exploitation). The figurative use implies a harmful, often unethical, advantage taken over others who are weaker or more vulnerable.
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living by or given to victimizing others for personal gain
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predatory capitalists
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a predatory, insensate society in which innocence and decency can prove fatal- Peter S. Prescott
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a predacious kind of animal--the early geological gangster- W.E.Swinton
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hunting and killing other animals for food
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