greedier; greediest
1
: marked by greed : having or showing a selfish desire for wealth and possessions
greedy creditors
2
: eager, keen
greedy for fame
3
: having a strong desire for food or drink
a predator greedy of its prey
greedily adverb
greediness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for greedy

covetous, greedy, acquisitive, grasping, avaricious mean having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions.

covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

covetous of his brother's country estate

greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire.

greedy for status symbols

acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep.

an eagerly acquisitive mind

grasping adds to covetous and greedy an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means.

a hard grasping businesswoman who cheated her associates

avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

an avaricious miser

Examples of greedy in a Sentence

He was a ruthless and greedy businessman. There's no need to get greedy—there's plenty for everyone. He blames all his problems on greedy lawyers.
Recent Examples on the Web But on the other hand, habituation can lead us to be unsatisfied, bored, restless, and greedy. TIME, 22 Feb. 2024 That’s a smart and responsible policy that places the interests of Vanguard’s clientele ahead of those of the greedy promoters and scamsters infecting the entire cryptocurrency field. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Local news has been decimated in America, owing to a lethal cocktail of uninterested readers and greedy venture capital firms that buy local papers and then cut them to the bone in an effort to squeeze every last cent out of their investment. Lachlan Cartwright, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2024 While most people are good and decent, people are also weak, fallible, greedy and mistake prone. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 18 Jan. 2024 The timing of these epidemics will be unpredictable…Our goal is simply to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy when others are fearful. Carmine Gallo, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 TikTok responded to the announcement with a similarly charged, albeit shorter, statement calling UMG greedy and deceptive. Reece Rogers, WIRED, 31 Jan. 2024 The Patriots got greedy and raised three banners in the first decade of the 21st century, and three more in the second. Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2024 The reason is that the pharmaceutical industry is an extremely greedy industry. Anna Gordon, TIME, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'greedy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gredy, from Old English grǣdig; akin to Old High German grātac greedy

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of greedy was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near greedy

Cite this Entry

“Greedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greedy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

greedy

adjective
greedier; greediest
1
: having a keen appetite
2
: having an eager and often selfish desire or longing
greedy for praise
3
: wanting more than one needs or more than one's fair share (as of food)
greedily adverb
greediness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on greedy

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