gluttonous

Gluttonous is an adjective used to describe a person or behavior that shows an excessive or insatiable appetite for food. It can also describe excessive consumption more generally, such as of goods or resources, when portrayed as greedy or wasteful. The related noun is glutton, and gluttony denotes the habit or sin of overindulgence in eating or drinking.

Etymology: The adjective gluttonous is formed from the noun glutton, which in English derives from Old French gloton or glouton, with roots connected to Latin terms associated with swallowing. The precise historical lineage is complex, but the connection to an excessive appetite for food is longstanding.

Usage: Gluttonous is typically pejorative, implying a judgment about self-control or moral character. In religious contexts, it has been used to condemn one of the seven deadly sins: gluttony. In secular writing, it can describe habitual overindulgence or a system that consumes resources greedily, as in “gluttonous consumption.” It is not a medical term; clinicians describe related conditions such as hyperphagia or binge eating disorder.

Synonyms and related terms include greedy, voracious, insatiable, and ravenous. When referring specifically to food, words like gourmand or epicure may carry different connotations, sometimes implying refined taste rather than excess.