adj.
Pronunciation: vo ̇ - ' r ā -sh ə s, v ə -
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin vorac-, vorax, from vorare to devour; akin to Old English ā cweorran to guzzle, Latin gurges whirlpool, Greek bibr ō skein to devour
Date: 1635
1 : having a huge appetite : RAVENOUS
2 : excessively eager : INSATIABLE <a voracious reader>
– vo · ra · cious · ly adverb
– vo · ra · cious · ness noun
synonyms VORACIOUS , GLUTTONOUS , RAVENOUS , RAPACIOUS mean excessively greedy. VORACIOUS applies especially to habitual gorging with food or drink <teenagers are often voracious eaters>. 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>. 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>. RAPACIOUS often suggests excessive and utterly selfish acquisitiveness or avarice < rapacious developers indifferent to environmental concerns>.