Voracious describes an insatiable appetite or enthusiasm for an activity or pursuit; it conveys extreme eagerness or greed in consuming large quantities of food or information. Used for people or animals that devour things eagerly, it implies relentless, intense desire or curiosity rather than casual interest.
"Her voracious curiosity led her to read every science book in the library."
"The team showed a voracious appetite for victory, training late into the night."
"He has a voracious appetite, finishing meals within minutes and asking for seconds."
"The publisher faced a voracious demand for their new release, with orders piling up."
Voracious comes from Latin vorax, vorac- meaning ‘devouring, greedy,’ from vorāre ‘to devour.’ The suffix -acious mirrors Latin -āx, denoting propensity. It entered English in the 15th century via Middle French voracité and Latin roots, evolving from a literal sense of devouring food to a broader figurative use for anything consumed with intense eagerness—food, information, or pursuits. Early instances described literal appetite but gradually shifted to metaphorical appetite for knowledge or experiences. Its evolution mirrors other -acious adjectives like tenacious and audacious, emphasizing degree and drive. Historically, usage intensified in literary and critical prose by the 17th–18th centuries, expanding to describe fervent non-culinary appetites as well as aggressive pursuit, making voracious a versatile descriptor for extreme engagement across domains.
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Words that rhyme with "Voracious"
-ous sounds
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Voracious is pronounced voh-RAY-shuhs in US/UK/AU English. Primary stress is on the second syllable: /vəˈreɪʃəs/. Break it into three parts: vo- (unstressed, /və/), -ra- (stressed, /ˈreɪ/), -cious (unstressed, /ʃəs/). For clarity: the first syllable uses a schwa, the second features a long A as in 'day', and the final '-cious' sounds like 'shus' with a soft /ʃ/ followed by /əs/.
Common mistakes: 1) Misplacing stress on the first syllable (vo-RAY-shus vs VOH-ray-shus). 2) Slurring the medial vowel and saying /rəˈeɪ-/ or turning /reɪ/ into a shorter /ri/; maintain /ˈreɪ/. 3) Mispronouncing the final consonant cluster; in careful speech the ending sounds like /ʃəs/ rather than /s/ or /əs/; keep the /ʃ/ before the schwa. Correct by practicing the three-part segmentation vo- | ra- | cious and rehearsing with minimal pairs.
US/UK/AU all share /vəˈreɪʃəs/; differences are subtle: US tends to a more rhotic, slightly longer /ɹ/ flavor and crisper /ə/ in the first syllable. UK often features a marginally shorter /ə/ before /ˈreɪ/ and a quicker /ʃəs/ ending. Australian tends to a flatter vowel in the first unstressed syllable and a broader /ɹ/ acent, yet remains near /vəˈreɪʃəs/. Overall, vowel quality of /eɪ/ remains constant; rhoticity differences are minimal in received forms.
The challenge is the three-syllable rhythm with a clear secondary stress on the suffix and a clean /ˈreɪ/ diphthong in the second syllable. The transition between /ə/ (unstressed schwa) to /ˈreɪ/ can trip the tongue, while ensuring the final /ʃəs/ is distinct from /ʃəs/ or /s/. Practicing the three-part rhythm and isolating the medial vowel helps anchor articulation.
In standard English, 'cious' is pronounced /ʃəs/. The 'c' is soft as /ʃ/ with a following schwa /ə/ or /ə/ depending on speed, resulting in /ʃəs/. Slow careful speech: /ˈvɔːr.eɪ.ʃəs/ (US: /vəˈreɪʃəs/). The dominant note is the /ʃ/ before a reduced vowel; avoid pronouncing it as /ʃiz/ or /siəs/.
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