Meanings
adjectiveomnivorous (comparative more omnivorous, superlative most omnivorous)
comparative more omnivorous · superlative most omnivorous
- Having a diet which is neither exclusively carnivorous nor exclusively herbivorous.
- figurativelyHaving an interest in a variety of subjects.
He was omnivorous in his appetite for knowledge, quite catholic in his range of interests […]
2003, Simon Winchester, The Meaning of Everything; The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, New York: Oxford University Press, page 721 more example
The Beckettian progression appears occasionally: while Miss Counihan (static) is an omnivorous reader and Murphy (transitional) a strict non-reader, Cooper is an analphabete.
1968, Robert Ligon Harrison, Samuel Beckett's Murphy; a critical excursion, page 57 - figurativelyAll-consuming.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivefeeding on both plants and animals
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃ep-
- Proto-Italic*opnis
- Latinomnis
- Englishomni-
- Englishomnivorous
Translations
Ancient Greek παμφάγος
- παμφάγος (pamphágos)having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Arabic قَارِت, كَالِش
- قَارِت (qārit)having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
- كَالِش (kāliš)having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Basque omniboro, orojale
- omniborohaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
- orojalehaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Bulgarian всеяден
- всеяден (vsejaden)having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Catalan omnívor
- omnívorhaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Czech všežravý
- všežravýhaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Esperanto ĉiovora
- ĉiovorahaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Finnish kaikkiruokainen
- kaikkiruokainenhaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
French omnivore
- omnivorehaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
German allfressend
- allfressendhaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Greek παμφάγος
- παμφάγος (pamfágos)having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Hindi सर्वाहारी
- सर्वाहारी (sarvāhārī)having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Hungarian mindenevő, omnivor
- mindenevőhaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
- omnivorhaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Italian onnivoro
- onnivorohaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Latin omnivorus
- omnivorushaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Malay maserba
- maserbahaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Norwegian Bokmål altetende
- altetendehaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Polish wszystkożerny
- wszystkożernyhaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Portuguese omnívoro, onívoro
- omnívorohaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
- onívorohaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Russian всея́дный
- всея́дный (vsejádnyj)having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Spanish omnívoro
- omnívorohaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Swedish allätande
- allätandehaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Tagalog tanankainin
- tanankaininhaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Ukrainian всеї́дний
- всеї́дний (vsejídnyj)having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Welsh hollysol
- hollysolhaving the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with omnivorous
carnivorousherbivorousinsectivorouspiscivorousalgivorousamphivorousaphidivorousaurivorousbaccivorouscanivorousdetritivorousequivorousfructivorousfrugivorousfucivorousfungivorousgraminivorousgranivoroushominivorouslarvivorouslichenivorouslignivorousnectarivorousoryzivorous
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
omnivorous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/omnivorous
MLA
“omnivorous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/omnivorous. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “omnivorous,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/omnivorous.
Source: omnivorous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.