predatory
/ˈpɹɛdəˌtɔɹi/adjective
predatory is spelled P-R-E-D-A-T-O-R-Y: 9 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,342nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, predatory means “Of, or relating to a predator” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in predatory?
| Letters | 9: P-R-E-D-A-T-O-R-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.5 times per million words; the 17,342nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is predatory?
Predatory appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,342nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce predatory?
- UK /ˈpɹɛdət(ə)ɹi/
- US /ˈpɹɛdəˌtɔɹi/
Predatory has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-predatory.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of predatory
- more predatory comparative
- most predatory superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does predatory mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of, or relating to a predator.
- 2
Living by preying on other living animals.
- 3
Exploiting or victimizing others for personal gain.
predatory lending
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Predatory in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense relating to predators:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | prédateur |
| German | räuberisch |
| Portuguese | predatório |
| Spanish | depredador |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does predatory come from?
Borrowed from Latin praedātōrius, equivalent to predator + -y.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).