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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective greedy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of greedy are acquisitive, avaricious, covetous, and grasping. While all these words mean "having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions," greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire.

greedy for status symbols

When is it sensible to use acquisitive instead of greedy?

In some situations, the words acquisitive and greedy are roughly equivalent. However, acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep.

an eagerly acquisitive mind

When is avaricious a more appropriate choice than greedy?

The words avaricious and greedy can be used in similar contexts, but avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

an avaricious miser

Where would covetous be a reasonable alternative to greedy?

The meanings of covetous and greedy largely overlap; however, covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

covetous of his brother's country estate

How does the word grasping relate to other synonyms for greedy?

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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of greedy Polaha plays Dick Hall, the president of Meridian Mortgage who is taken hostage by Tony Kiritsis (Ribisi), who publicly accuses him on being a greedy and cutthroat monster. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025 Left-wing antisemitism, which cast Jews as greedy capitalists, existed as well, especially in France, but Jew-baiting remained primarily a right-wing pursuit, the work of illiberal nativists who saw a tiny minority as polluting the purity of their racial or religious communities. Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025 But given both the film’s protagonist (gig worker Eyüp, played by the director) and title character (Eyüp’s greedy boss) are participants in the dance, this Turkish writer can’t help but see it as a biting social statement. Tomris Laffly, Variety, 16 Sep. 2025 The result is a Type Ia supernova that usually completely destroys the greedy white dwarf star. Robert Lea, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for greedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for greedy
Adjective
  • Engineers still struggle to replicate a grasping human hand, or the hand-eye coordination of a human brain.
    Natan Linder, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The imperial Presidency: Designs on Greenland, promises to take back the Panama Canal, threats of tariffs on countries ranging from Colombia to Taiwan—how did a President who once pledged isolationism become so grasping?
    Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Pegasus is rescuing the lovely Princess Andromeda from a giant ravenous sea monster.
    Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Those ravenous fans still gave it a rare A+ CinemaScore, naturally, which is certainly kinder than some music critics were to the album itself.
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Kaitlyn is excited to one day share the memories of this very celebration with her little girl.
    Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Birchmore, prosecutors said, was excited about becoming a mother and hoped Farwell would be involved in the baby’s life.
    Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • For most players, that amount of storage is realistically enough for all but the most covetous data hoarders.
    Matt Kamen, Wired News, 3 Aug. 2025
  • This is, in part, correct: Voldemort is extremely covetous of power.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Plus, having some extra small plates around before the big meal is a clever way to keep hungry family members out of the kitchen.
    Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2025
  • But then as now, people cherished the underdog aspect of the album — the artist taking a stand, defying the odds, staying hungry.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Her obituary stated that Halbach was also a volleyball coach and an avid traveler.
    Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Not only is her pick from the beloved legacy brand a staple in vanities everywhere, but the shade itself has its share of avid fans.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Building out that platform and benefiting as more teams are plugged into it has meant Leonsis and MSE have stayed acquisitive.
    Ian Thomas, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Retail e-commerce penetration had surged during the pandemic, which brought a rush of acquisitive capital into the space.
    Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Other Redditors wondered if there was any truth to the restaurant staff's comments, and suggested that some guests may have actually been gluttonous.
    Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Check him out in all his gluttonous glory.
    Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Greedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/greedy. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

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