predatory

• prædatory (archaic)

Borrowed from Latin praedātōrius, equivalent to predator +‎ -y.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɛdəˌtoɹi/

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predatory (comparative more predatory, superlative most predatory)

1. Of, or relating to a predator.
   • 2021 July 3, Phil McNulty, “Ukraine 0-4 England”, in BBC Sport‎:

     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.

   • 2024 November 13, Paul Bigland, “Much to admire... but pockets of neglect”, in RAIL, number 1022, page 49:

     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.

2. Living by preying on other living animals.

   Synonyms: predaceous, predacious

   • 1915 December 4 – 1916 January 8, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter IX, in The Son of Tarzan, Chicago, Ill.: A C McClurg & Co., published March 1917, →OCLC:

     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.

3. (figuratively) Exploiting or victimizing others for personal gain.

   predatory lending

   predatory inclusion

   predatory publishing

   • 1890, William Booth, chapter 7, in In Darkest England and the Way Out‎:

     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.

   • 1905 April–October, Upton Sinclair, chapter XXXI, in The Jungle, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1906 February 26, →OCLC:

     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.

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “predatory”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

• portrayed