prehensile
- adjective
- /prɪˈhɛnsaɪl/
- Offensive
:
codicioso
- The company's prehensile executives cut costs ruthlessly to maximize profits.
Examples
-
His prehensile nature made him accumulate wealth without regard for others.
-
She was known for her prehensile ambition in the corporate world.
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He showed a prehensile attitude when negotiating for a higher salary, never satisfied with reasonable offers.
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Her prehensile interests made her unpopular with her less materialistic friends.
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His prehensile desires drove him to accumulate vast amounts of wealth, often at the expense of others.
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The prehensile nature of her ambition made her constantly seek new possessions and accolades.
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In his prehensile quest for success, he neglected the needs of his family and friends.
Synonyms
256
1.4
Wanting more food, money, or things than needed
4
6.0
Wanting a lot of money, even if it hurts other people
4
9.3
Very greedy for money and willing to take things from others
4
8.1
Wanting a lot of money or things and not willing to share
3
9.2
Always wants more money and is never satisfied
3
8.4
Wanting very much to have something that belongs to someone else
2
7.9
To want to get and keep many things, often things you can buy
1
8.2
Wanting to get more money or things in a selfish way
Wanting far more than is fair or reasonable
Putting money above other things
Very hungry and wanting a lot of food or money
Antonyms
How Greedy
Surface Forms
Morphology
prehensile = prehens + ile
The figurative sense 'grasping, greedy' is a metaphorical extension of 'grasping', so it is related to the root meaning but still relies on knowledge of the non‑English combining form and is only partially predictable for learners.
Etymology
The word prehensile also comes from the root prehend- meaning 'to grasp', so it can describe a person or group that 'grabs' for money or possessions, which is why it can mean greedy.