Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective acquisitive differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of acquisitive are avaricious, covetous, grasping, and greedy. While all these words mean "having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions," acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep.

an eagerly acquisitive mind

When could avaricious be used to replace acquisitive?

While in some cases nearly identical to acquisitive, avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

an avaricious miser

When would covetous be a good substitute for acquisitive?

While the synonyms covetous and acquisitive are close in meaning, covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

covetous of his brother's country estate

How does the word grasping relate to other synonyms for acquisitive?

Grasping adds to covetous and greedy an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means.

a hard grasping businesswoman who cheated her associates

When might greedy be a better fit than acquisitive?

The synonyms greedy and acquisitive are sometimes interchangeable, but greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire.

greedy for status symbols

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 acquisitive Like other acquisitive companies, the integration of technology was sub-optimal. Peter High, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025 Infinite Reality, which is building a headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was founded in 2019 and has been acquisitive in recent months, buying companies such as the Drone Racing League, Landvault and virtual reality retail brand Obsess. Kif Leswing, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2025 Fremantle was incredibly acquisitive around three years back but its only big M&A deal in the past year has been Red Planet maker Asacha and Beach House, although these were splashy. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2025 Not only is China’s population (1.4 billion) enormous, that same population is increasingly acquisitive. John Tamny, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for acquisitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquisitive
Adjective
  • Are the companies somehow less greedy in other states?
    Ted Gaines, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
  • What the greedy developers are trying to do burns me to no end.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • Russia’s shadowy Wagner private mercenary group's importance in the country is being questioned after three of its members were arrested in September and sent back to Moscow.
    Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 8 June 2025
  • Her detailed analysis shows how the country’s restructuring under Putin provided fertile soil for Prigozhin to graduate from woman-strangling street thug to catering star and mercenary prodigy.
    Nicolas Niarchos, New York Times, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • Lively Feud: Lively Shares ‘Gratitude’ On Instagram After Baldoni’s Lawsuit Is Dismissed Globally, employees are eager to learn.
    Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • The Dallas phone company had taken a blood-bath in its four-year foray into entertainment and was eager to exit.
    Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • The comedy-drama follows a Gen Z content creator who returns to her ancestral home seeking viral material, only to encounter her deceased brother’s ghost while dealing with avaricious relatives.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2025
  • This nation state, my home, is built on a quagmire of lies sold to the young as truths; sold to the insecure as truths; sold by the avaricious, the power-hungry, the conceited, the overwhelmingly white and male.
    Christine Winter, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Image Meet Me at the Crossroads by Megan Giddings The sudden appearance of seven mysterious doors across the world draws attention from religious sects, covetous billionaires and everyday people who speculate over what lies on the other side.
    Laura Thompson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • His approach, on and off the pitch, has had a transformative effect and as Palace seek to secure him on a new contract, there have been covetous glances cast in his direction from clubs in the German Bundesliga.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Acquisitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquisitive. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

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