greed

noun

Synonyms of greed
: a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed
motivated by naked ambition and greed
greed for money and power

Examples of greed in a Sentence

He was a ruthless businessman, motivated by naked ambition and greed. don't let greed for riches control you
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Crichton goes to a lot of effort to give plausible explanation to the harvesting and recombination of dinosaur DNA, and the mistakes that the involved human beings make are ones of ego, greed, and—more or less—neglecting to double-check their homework before turning it in. Ian MacKenzie, Literary Hub, 27 May 2026 The hierarchy of both teams has chased greed — and now look at them. Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 24 May 2026 There’s too much greed in the world, man. Maria Bamford, Vulture, 22 May 2026 His greed, grandiosity, divisiveness, and shifting agenda methods are not new. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for greed

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from greedy

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of greed was in 1609

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Greed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greed. Accessed 30 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

greed

noun
: selfish desire for food, money, or possessions over and above one's needs

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