grasping

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹæspɪŋ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹɑːspɪŋ/
• Hyphenation: grasp‧ing

Adjective

grasping (comparative more grasping, superlative most grasping)

1. Greedy, eager for wealth.
   • 1990, Robert Fagles, transl., The Iliad:

     Just how, Agamemnon, great field marshal . . . most grasping man alive, how can the generous Argives give you prizes now? I know of no troves of treasure, piled, lying idle, anywhere.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:greedy

Derived terms

• graspingly
• graspingness
• straw-grasping

 

Translations

greedy, eager for wealth

• Bulgarian: алчен (bg) (alčen), ненаситен (bg) (nenasiten)
• German: gierig (de)
• Greek: αρπακτικός (el) m (arpaktikós), πλεονέκτης (el) m (pleonéktis)

  Ancient: πλεονέκτης (pleonéktēs)

• Irish: santach
• Maori: touapo
• Plautdietsch: bejierich

Verb

grasping

1. present participle and gerund of grasp

Noun

grasping (plural graspings)

1. The act of one who grasps or covets.
   • 2009, Jed McKenna, Spiritually Incorrect Enlightenment:

     These are my connections, my attachments. Maybe all I really am is the sum of all these connections, these fearful longings and graspings.

Anagrams

• pargings, sparging, spriggan