Synonym Chooser

How is the word gluttonous different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of gluttonous are rapacious, ravenous, and voracious. While all these words mean "excessively greedy," 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

Where would rapacious be a reasonable alternative to gluttonous?

The words rapacious and gluttonous can be used in similar contexts, but rapacious often suggests excessive and utterly selfish acquisitiveness or avarice.

rapacious developers indifferent to environmental concerns

When could ravenous be used to replace gluttonous?

While in some cases nearly identical to gluttonous, 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

When is it sensible to use voracious instead of gluttonous?

The synonyms voracious and gluttonous are sometimes interchangeable, but voracious applies especially to habitual gorging with food or drink.

teenagers are often voracious eaters

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 gluttonous During the Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, celebrated by Chinese around the world on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month each year (September 17 this year), mooncakes are eaten in gluttonous quantities. Michelle Tchea, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Sep. 2024 Prices were higher, but so many people took advantage of the deal—and some to a gluttonous extreme—that earnings tumbled. Chris Morris, Fortune, 20 May 2024 His take on Quebec is even less enticing, confined largely to a government office where a gluttonous bureaucrat (Danielle Fichaud in drag) devours a tray of turkey and approves a character named Mathieu Rankin’s transfer back to Winnipeg. Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 May 2024 Instead, each selection is paired with something fresh and plant-based, allowing diners to indulge without feeling gluttonous. Vivienne Peters; Photos By Judy Revenaugh, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gluttonous 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gluttonous
Adjective
  • The greedy wizard had an idea to build beautiful hotels and homes.
    Letters to the Editor, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2025
  • But that’s not the way of most corporate America, despite the endless pushing by greedy bankers and lawyers who don’t have enough work to do to maintain their admittedly lavish lifestyles versus pretty much the rest of the country’s work force.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The researchers found that clay sprayed on the water's surface bonds with the carbon, creating sticky balls that become part of the ravenous little creatures' daily smorgasbord.
    Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024
  • That said, recent history suggests the most ravenous cap eaters do not inherently prevent an organization from remaining competitive.
    Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The merged generative AI model is bloated and runs extremely slowly, possibly so piggish that using it on everyday tasks is exasperating and imprudent due to enormous delays while processing.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024
  • Surrounded by a dysfunctional family and a piggish boss (Stellan Skarsgård), Justine is lonely, exasperated, and seething.
    Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near gluttonous

Cite this Entry

“Gluttonous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gluttonous. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on gluttonous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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