predator

predator — noun

1. an animal that gets food by hunting and eating other creatures.

1.nounC1
Definition

an animal that gets food by hunting and eating other creatures.

Example

In winter, the wolf is a predator that follows deer across snow.

predator + that-clause

Small fish dart into rocks when predators circle above the shallow pool.

Common collocations
  • apex predator
  • natural predator
  • top predator
  • marine predator
  • land predator
Synonyms
  • hunter

    broader and more general; can be a person or an animal

  • carnivore

    biology term that focuses on diet, not on active hunting

  • raptor

    used mainly for birds of prey such as eagles or hawks

Antonyms
  • prey

    an animal hunted or eaten by another animal

Grammar Patterns

adjective + predator

predator + of + animal/group

Usage Note

Usually used for wild animals and often contrasted with 'prey'. Distinguish from sense 2, which refers to people or groups that target victims.

Common Mistakes

The cow is a predator because it eats grass.
The lion is a predator because it hunts other animals.
a predator feeds on animals, not plants.

2. a person or organization that looks for people who are easier to harm, trick, or

2.nounC1
Definition

a person or organization that looks for people who are easier to harm, trick, or use unfairly.

Example

Parents warned the children about online predators in game chat rooms.

online predator

Police arrested a predator who waited near the last train for lone women.

predator + who + verb

Common collocations
  • online predator
  • sexual predator
  • corporate predator
  • child predator
  • known predator
Synonyms
  • abuser

    stresses harming someone through cruel or controlling behavior

  • exploiter

    stresses taking unfair advantage for gain

  • stalker

    narrower; stresses following and watching a victim

  • attacker

    broader; focuses on the act of attack, not on repeated targeting

Antonyms
  • protector

    someone who keeps others safe instead of using them

  • victim

    someone harmed or targeted by another person

Grammar Patterns

online/sexual/corporate + predator

predator + who + verb

Usage Note

Often modified by words such as 'online', 'sexual', or 'corporate'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about harming or exploiting victims, not animals feeding on prey.

Common Mistakes

My brother is a predator because he likes fishing.
My brother is a hunter because he likes fishing.
this sense suggests harming or exploiting victims, not simply chasing animals.

Word family

  • predatory
    adjectiveC2
  • predation
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words overlap, but they are not the same. A 'predator' is an animal that catches other animals for food, and the word often suggests a natural food chain. 'Hunter' is broader and more neutral: it can mean a person who hunts, or any animal searching for food, without always stressing the victim. 'Carnivore' is mainly a biology word about what an animal eats, so it can describe diet more than hunting behavior. 'Scavenger' is different again because it usually feeds on animals that are already dead. A lion is a predator, a person with a bow is a hunter, and a vulture is mainly a scavenger.

predator ↗hunter ↗carnivorescavenger

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Predator comes from Latin 'praedator', meaning 'plunderer' or 'robber', from the verb 'praedari', meaning 'to plunder'. English first used it for a person who attacks or exploits others, and later extended it to the animal sense for a creature that hunts prey for food.