1
as in grasping
having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions
a young rocker who was greedy for fame and riches the greedy exploitation of the land by developers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ravenous
having a huge appetite
he's so greedy you have to carefully watch your plate during dinner, lest he snatch food off it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in excited
showing urgent desire or interest
he's greedy for new assignments that will really challenge him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
There’s greedy, ruthless, hypocritical Conkling, enriching himself by any means necessary.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
According to Isaac, the regent was a cruel and greedy man who killed his subjects, took their land, and allied himself with Congo’s dictator, Joseph Mobutu.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
But Septime Webre’s choreography is supposed to have the air of wild and sometimes frenzied social dancing, of Charlestons and Fox Trots and Black Bottoms, of indulging the glorious excesses of the 1920s before the greedier side of the American Dream comes crashing down a few years later.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Oct. 2025
There always have been, and always will be, threats to public lands from competing interests and greedy developers.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for greedy
Judy Berman, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
According to Isaac, the regent was a cruel and greedy man who killed his subjects, took their land, and allied himself with Congo’s dictator, Joseph Mobutu.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
But Septime Webre’s choreography is supposed to have the air of wild and sometimes frenzied social dancing, of Charlestons and Fox Trots and Black Bottoms, of indulging the glorious excesses of the 1920s before the greedier side of the American Dream comes crashing down a few years later.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Oct. 2025
There always have been, and always will be, threats to public lands from competing interests and greedy developers.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for greedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for greedy
Adjective
-
The father, Fyodor Karamazov, is a grasping, lecherous, deceitful, and shameless widower.—
Karl Ove Knausgaard,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Despite his limitations, Joe displayed an impressive degree of ascetic discipline and a ravenous desire for God.—
Christian Wiman,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
-
Pixar populates this ocean with entertaining characters and unforgettable dangers, but the thrills won’t scare young viewers about taking a dip, even with the presence of a ravenous shark.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Scherzinger glowed with an excited expression, her arms raised again in the air.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
A lot of us are excited to refresh our spaces in the new year.—
Shagun Khare,
The Spruce,
9 Jan. 2026
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
-
So last Monday, after scrolling through news of the government shutdown and with nothing else planned for the day, the couple decided to fire up their Pit Boss pellet grill and feed anyone who was hungry, no questions asked.—
Sean Clancy,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Voter anger over the cost of living is hurtling forward into next year’s midterm elections, when pivotal contests will be decided by communities that are home to fast-rising electric bills or fights over who’s footing the bill to power Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
An avid pool-player, Rogan has interviewed Gorst on his show twice, including this summer.—
Jeremy Herb,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Spooky season has come and gone, which means its time for some avid readers to begin making their winter reading lists.—
Cailey Gleeson,
jsonline.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
L’Oréal, which was highly acquisitive in 2025, with deals to purchase Kering Beauty, Medik8 and ColorWow, as well as an additional 10 percent stake in Galderma, among other transactions, no doubt will continue enriching its portfolio in the new year.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Paramount Skydance completed its merger last year, and since then CEO David Ellison has been acquisitive.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In this, the second-to-last time Friends would celebrate November’s most gluttonous holiday, Rachel’s obnoxious sister Amy (Christina Applegate) invites herself to Thanksgiving, and the conversation turns to who would get custody of baby Emma if Rachel and Ross died.—
Brian Boone,
Vulture,
26 Nov. 2025
-
Sunday brunch at Orchids is an island favorite (don’t miss the gluttonous coconut cake) and the oceanfront House Without a Key hosts nightly live music beneath a century-old kiawe tree.—
Siobhan Reid,
Vogue,
21 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Greedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/greedy. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share