How to pronounce rapacious
Say it like ruh-PAY-shus. Rapacious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (PAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce rapacious. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- ruh
- PAY
- shus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Rapacious pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- ruhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
- PAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- shusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of rapacious
American and British speakers say rapacious in essentially the same way: /rəˈpeɪʃəs/ in the US and /rəˈpeɪʃəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: ruh-PAY-shus.
What does rapacious mean?
- Voracious; avaricious.
- Given to taking by force or plundering; aggressively greedy.
- Subsisting off live prey.
Where does rapacious come from?
Perhaps from rapacity + -ous, in any case ultimately from Latin rapāx (“grasping, greedy”) + -acious.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with rapacious
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of rapacious.
Questions about saying rapacious
How do you pronounce rapacious?
Say ruh-PAY-shus. The American pronunciation is /rəˈpeɪʃəs/. In British English it is /rəˈpeɪʃəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in rapacious?
Rapacious has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (PAY). Broken into parts: ruh · PAY · shus.
Do Americans and Brits say rapacious the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /rəˈpeɪʃəs/ and the British form is /rəˈpeɪʃəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.