GRASPING Synonyms: 179 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'grasping' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of grasping are acquisitive , avaricious , covetous , and greedy . While all these words mean "having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions," 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

Q: When is it sensible to use 'acquisitive' instead of 'grasping'?

The synonyms acquisitive and grasping are sometimes interchangeable, but acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep. // an eagerly acquisitive mind

Q: When could 'avaricious' be used to replace 'grasping'?

In some situations, the words avaricious and grasping are roughly equivalent. However, avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess. // an avaricious miser

Q: When might 'covetous' be a better fit than 'grasping'?

The words covetous and grasping are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions. // covetous of his brother's country estate

Q: Where would 'greedy' be a reasonable alternative to 'grasping'?

The meanings of greedy and grasping largely overlap; however, greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire. // greedy for status symbols

grasping 1 of 2

adjective

ˈgra-spiŋ

Definition of grasping next

as in greedy

having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions a grasping person who would rather buy a car he didn't need than give a dime to charity

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

grasping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of grasp

as in understanding

to have a practical understanding of he just doesn't grasp how important it is that he call when he'll be late

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in clasping

to put one's arms around and press tightly the departing soldier grasped his children a little closer than usual

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in holding

to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms the attendant grasped my arm and steered me towards the door

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in knowing

to have a clear idea of the emergency operator finally grasped what he was trying to tell her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective grasping differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of grasping are acquisitive, avaricious, covetous, and greedy. While all these words mean "having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions," 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 is it sensible to use acquisitive instead of grasping?

The synonyms acquisitive and grasping are sometimes interchangeable, but acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep.

an eagerly acquisitive mind

When could avaricious be used to replace grasping?

In some situations, the words avaricious and grasping are roughly equivalent. However, avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

an avaricious miser

When might covetous be a better fit than grasping?

The words covetous and grasping are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

covetous of his brother's country estate

Where would greedy be a reasonable alternative to grasping?

The meanings of greedy and grasping largely overlap; however, greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire.

greedy for status symbols

Examples of grasping in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But, like much of the Bronx, it was erased by the city’s tightly grasping infrastructure fingers. —

Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024 Unlike most other camp movies, this one isn’t about preserving and revering childhood, but the sloppy, grasping, wonderful transition to adulthood. —

Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 May 2024 For example, Wandelt, Bjånes and their colleagues found that a part of the parietal lobe called the supramarginal gyrus (SMG), which is typically associated with grasping objects, is also strongly activated during speech. —

Marla Broadfoot, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 May 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grasping

Adjective

His skin, a greedy shade of brown, seems to eat up all the light.

Essence, Essence, 5 Nov. 2024
Like Kato and Sunja’s margarita date last week, this is another small moment that moves as much, if not more, than any of the larger emotional gestures in the show — some pleasures are immune to misery’s greedy hands.

Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2024