Are you ready for another Word of the Day? As Thanksgiving approaches, the thought of turkey and stuffing is on our mind… and it’s making our mouths salivate and our stomachs growl! I’m sure you have experienced a time when you were so unbearably hungry that you could probably eat anything and everything. Today’s Word of the Day will help you describe how you feel. Read on to learn more!
vo·ra·cious (adjective)
/vəˈrāSHəs/
Definition 1: wanting or devouring great quantities of food
Definition 2: having a very eager approach to an activity.
This word originates from the Latin word vorare, which means “devour”.
The word voracious can be used to describe someone’s appetite, such as, “Kobe Bryant had a voracious appetite after many hours of basketball practice.” Perhaps you have a similar experience after sitting in class for several hours and your stomach begins to rumble. Once class is over, you voraciously search for something to satisfy your hungry stomach. Here in the United States, we expectantly await the Thanksgiving holiday so that we can devour plates of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, and more. This food is delicious enough to make anyone a voracious eater!
Voracious can also be used to describe someone’s eagerness and enthusiasm about an activity. For example, “She has been a voracious reader of mystery novels after she read a Nancy Drew book in third grade.” The word describes an uncontrollable desire to participate in a certain activity.
Synonyms: insatiable, unquenchable, uncontrollable, compulsive, gluttonous, greedy.
*Vocabulary tip: when looking for the meaning of a word, use a student’s dictionary, not a translator. Try Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary: www.learnersdictionary.com
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