grasping

adjective

grasp·ing ˈgra-spiŋ How to pronounce grasping (audio)

: used, designed, or adapted to grasp

When the eggs hatch, the first-stage grub … is a minute but highly active larva with well-developed grasping legs.

John Alcock

His choice of surgical instruments includes everything from grasping forceps and trimmers to motorized shavers and drills.

Arnold Schechter

: desiring material possessions urgently and excessively and often to the point of ruthlessness

Her grasping children fought over her property when she died.

graspingly

ˈgra-spiŋ-lē How to pronounce grasping (audio)

adverb

graspingness noun

grasping 1 of 2

adjective

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

Relevance

greedy
eager
desirous
coveting
covetous
avaricious
acquisitive
mercenary
grabby
avid
moneygrubbing
devouring
discontented
materialistic
rapacious
gobbling
discontent
swinish
egocentric
miserly
insatiable
begrudging
ravenous
lickerish
grudging
unsatisfied
resentful
piggish
piggy
gluttonous
commercialistic
unquenchable
hoggish
egotistical
egotistic
itchy
voracious
egoistic
self-centered
egoistical
malcontent
philistine
self-seeking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

controlled
generous
liberal
charitable
altruistic
magnanimous
selfless
bountiful
restrained
unselfish
bounteous
openhanded
handsome
moderate
munificent
satisfied
content
unsparing
temperate
openhearted
freehanded
nonmaterialistic
sated
greathearted

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

understanding
knowing
comprehending
appreciating
possessing
fathoming
apprehending
cognizing
perceiving
savvying
following
having
kenning
catching on (to)
picking up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

misinterpreting
misapprehending
misperceiving
misunderstanding
misconceiving
misknowing

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

clasping
hugging
clinging
grabbing
cradling
embracing
holding
enfolding
wrapping
crushing
straining
bear-hugging
gripping
clamping
encircling
enclasping
entwining
folding
locking
stroking
patting
enveloping
twining
snuggling
fondling
nuzzling
cuddling
petting
bosoming
enwinding
embosoming
nestling

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

holding
gripping
clasping
taking
clutching
clenching
catching
snatching
seizing
laying hold of
nabbing
hanging on to
holding on (to)
clinging (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

discharging
releasing
freeing
liberating
dropping
giving
relinquishing
passing
handing
delivering
transferring
transmitting
entrusting
handing over
intrusting
unhanding
turning over

as in knowing

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

understanding
knowing
comprehending
deciphering
recognizing
seeing
appreciating
realizing
sensing
getting
perceiving
seizing
discerning
apprehending
digging
assimilating
conceiving
cognizing
intuiting
beholding
catching
making
grokking
decoding
twigging
registering
compassing
fathoming
savvying
digesting
absorbing
making out
penetrating
picking up on
tumbling (to)
catching on (to)
cottoning (to or on to)
taking in
piercing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

missing
misinterpreting
misconstruing
mistaking
misreading
misunderstanding
misapprehending
misperceiving
misconceiving

Synonym Chooser

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

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

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

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

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

greedy for status symbols

单词	grasping
释义	grasping adjective grasp·ing ˈgra-spiŋ 1 : used, designed, or adapted to grasp When the eggs hatch, the first-stage grub … is a minute but highly active larva with well-developed grasping legs. John Alcock His choice of surgical instruments includes everything from grasping forceps and trimmers to motorized shavers and drills. Arnold Schechter 2 : desiring material possessions urgently and excessively and often to the point of ruthlessness Her grasping children fought over her property when she died. graspingly ˈgra-spiŋ-lē adverb graspingness noun Synonyms acquisitive avaricious avid coveting covetous grabby greedy mercenary moneygrubbing rapacious See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Her grasping children fought over her property when she died. a grasping person who would rather buy a car he didn't need than give a dime to charity Word History Etymology see grasp entry 1 First Known Use 1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Kids Definition grasping adjective grasp·ing ˈgra-spiŋ : greedy sense 1 grasping 1 of 2 adjective 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 Relevance greedy eager desirous coveting covetous avaricious acquisitive mercenary grabby avid moneygrubbing devouring discontented materialistic rapacious gobbling discontent swinish egocentric miserly insatiable begrudging ravenous lickerish grudging unsatisfied resentful piggish piggy gluttonous commercialistic unquenchable hoggish egotistical egotistic itchy voracious egoistic self-centered egoistical malcontent philistine self-seeking Antonyms & Near Antonyms controlled generous liberal charitable altruistic magnanimous selfless bountiful restrained unselfish bounteous openhanded handsome moderate munificent satisfied content unsparing temperate openhearted freehanded nonmaterialistic sated greathearted See More grasping 2 of 2 verb present participle of grasp 1 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 understanding knowing comprehending appreciating possessing fathoming apprehending cognizing perceiving savvying following having kenning catching on (to) picking up Antonyms & Near Antonyms misinterpreting misapprehending misperceiving misunderstanding misconceiving misknowing 2 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 clasping hugging clinging grabbing cradling embracing holding enfolding wrapping crushing straining bear-hugging gripping clamping encircling enclasping entwining folding locking stroking patting enveloping twining snuggling fondling nuzzling cuddling petting bosoming enwinding embosoming nestling 3 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 Synonyms & Similar Words holding gripping clasping taking clutching clenching catching snatching seizing laying hold of nabbing hanging on to holding on (to) clinging (to) Antonyms & Near Antonyms discharging releasing freeing liberating dropping giving relinquishing passing handing delivering transferring transmitting entrusting handing over intrusting unhanding turning over See More 4 as in knowing to have a clear idea of the emergency operator finally grasped what he was trying to tell her Synonyms & Similar Words understanding knowing comprehending deciphering recognizing seeing appreciating realizing sensing getting perceiving seizing discerning apprehending digging assimilating conceiving cognizing intuiting beholding catching making grokking decoding twigging registering compassing fathoming savvying digesting absorbing making out penetrating picking up on tumbling (to) catching on (to) cottoning (to or on to) taking in piercing Antonyms & Near Antonyms missing misinterpreting misconstruing mistaking misreading misunderstanding misapprehending misperceiving misconceiving See More Synonym Chooser 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 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 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 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 The meanings of greedy and grasping largely overlap; however, greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire. greedy for status symbols
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grasping

adjective

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

adjective

adjective

verb

Synonym Chooser