wolfish
/'wulfiʃ/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Resembling or characteristic of a wolf: Having the qualities, appearance, or behavior typically associated with a wolf.
- Ravenously hungry; devouring food greedily: Characterized by an intense, often animalistic craving or consumption of food.
Usage
- The primary use of "wolfish" is as a descriptive adjective. It can describe a person's appearance (e.g., sharp features, keen gaze), their behavior (e.g., predatory, aggressive), or their appetite.
- It often carries negative connotations of greed, ferocity, or predatory intent.
Examples
- Describing appearance or character:
- He flashed a wolfish grin that made her uneasy.
- The old portrait showed a man with a lean, wolfish face.
- Describing appetite or hunger:
- After the long hike, they fell upon their meal with wolfish enthusiasm.
- She felt a wolfish hunger after skipping lunch.
Advanced Usage
- "Wolfish charm": A type of attractive but potentially dangerous or insincere charm.
- The salesman used his wolfish charm to close the deal.
- "Wolfish eyes": Eyes that are keen, watchful, or predatory in appearance.
- The guard watched the crowd with wolfish eyes.
Variants and Related Words
- Wolfishly (adverb): In a manner resembling a wolf.
- He grinned wolfishly.
- Wolfishness (noun): The quality of being wolfish.
- The wolfishness of his appetite was astonishing.
Synonyms
- Predatory: Seeking to exploit or prey on others.
- Rapacious: Excessively greedy, especially for money or possessions.
- Ravenous: Extremely hungry.
- Voracious: Wanting or consuming great quantities of something (can apply to food or non-food items like reading).
- Feral: Resembling a wild animal, especially in being savage or untamed.
Antonyms
- Gentle: Mild, kind, or soft in manner or appearance.
- Meek: Quiet, gentle, and submissive.
- Tame: Not dangerous or frightened of people; domesticated.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "To wolf down food" (phrasal verb): To eat something very quickly and greedily. This phrase shares the same root imagery as "wolfish."
- He wolfed down his sandwich in three bites.
- "A wolf in sheep's clothing" (idiom): A person who hides malicious intent behind a harmless facade. This idiom relates to the deceptive or predatory nature often implied by "wolfish."
- Be careful of him; he's a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Adjective
- devouring or craving food in great quantities
- edacious vultures
- a rapacious appetite
- ravenous as wolves
- voracious sharks
- resembling or characteristic (or considered characteristic) of a wolf
- ran in wolflike packs
- wolfish rapacity