Predatory Meaning
/ˈpɹɛdət(ə)ɹi/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjOf, or relating to a predator.
adjLiving by preying on other living animals.
Sentence Examples
According to Tom, Mary is just a predatory guru who promises gain.
The websites of some predatory publishers look credible.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ insect waits patiently on a leaf to catch its prey.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ lending practices of some financial companies left vulnerable borrowers in serious debt.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Latin praedātōrius, equivalent to predator + -y.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Harry Kane was back to his predatory best after struggling in the group stage, following up his goal against Germany by poking home a superb pass from Raheem Sterling after only four minutes."
— 2021 July 3, Phil McNulty, “Ukraine 0-4 England”, in BBC Sport:
"And while there are plenty of benches, there's little shelter from the wind (or predatory seagulls the size of dogs) out on the platforms."
— 2024 November 13, Paul Bigland, “Much to admire... but pockets of neglect”, in RAIL, number 1022, page 49:
"The mark of his father’s early life was strong upon him and enhanced by months of association with beasts, from whom the imitative faculty of youth had absorbed a countless number of little mannerisms of the predatory creatures of the wild."
— 1915 December 4 – 1916 January 8, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter IX, in The Son of Tarzan, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published March 1917, →OCLC:
"One very important section of the denizens of Darkest England are the criminals and the semi-criminals. They are more or less predatory, and are at present shepherded by the police and punished by the gaoler."
— 1890, William Booth, chapter 7, in In Darkest England and the Way Out:
"The purpose of government was the guarding of property-rights, the perpetuation of ancient force and modern fraud. Or was it marriage? Marriage and prostitution were two sides of one shield, the predatory man’s exploitation of the sex-pleasure."
— 1905 April–October, Upton Sinclair, chapter XXXI, in The Jungle, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 26 February 1906, →OCLC:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ insect waits patiently on a leaf to catch its prey.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ lending practices of some financial companies left vulnerable borrowers in serious debt.