greed

noun

\ ˈgrēd

How to pronounce greed (audio)

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Definition of greed

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

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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 In the final moments of the bitter satire, Marla no longer channels Wall Street money monster Gordon Gekko, but still manages to make greed sound good. — Shannon Carlin, refinery29.com, "The End Of I Care A Lot Eviscerates Our Allegiance To The Almighty Dollar," 22 Feb. 2021 Yellow roses symbolize either friendship and care, or jealousy and greed. — Janet B. Carson, Arkansas Online, "Happy Valentine's Day," 15 Feb. 2021 That may feel a little harsh, but the resentment caused by skipped gifts isn’t necessarily about greed; experts say exchanging gifts strengthens the connection between people on a deeper level. — Sarah Baillie, The New Republic, "Cancel Valentine’s Day Consumerism," 12 Feb. 2021 Most of these hunters knew each other, and a lot of them got caught up in the greed. — Hal Herring, Field & Stream, "F&S Classics: Takedown," 27 Dec. 2020 Cruelty, greed and violence are as much a part of his realism as hunger, squalid living conditions and tuberculosis. — Los Angeles Times, "Commentary: Times are bad, so keep your uplift. Give me ‘Crime and Punishment’ and ‘The Godfather’," 14 Jan. 2021 Black people, once again, same as always, dying and fighting the murderous avatars of white greed for another piece of freedom. — New York Times, "‘The Prophets’ Explores Black Love and Memory in a Time of Trauma," 6 Jan. 2021 Our once relatively united and largely ethical society has plummeted into a cesspool of deception and greed. — Mike Masterson, Arkansas Online, "OPINION | MASTERSON ONLINE: Credibility vital," 27 Dec. 2020 This relief package comes as greed upon relief provides for less relief than democrats proposed this fall and even less than the $3 trillion HEROES Act that passed the House in May. — Anoa Changa, Essence, "Pandemic Relief Deal Reached As Panel Recommends New Vaccine Priorities," 21 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'greed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Greco-Roman wrestling

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Last Updated

28 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Greed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greed. Accessed 4 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for greed

greed

noun

English Language Learners Definition of greed

: a selfish desire to have more of something (especially money)

See the full definition for greed in the English Language Learners Dictionary

greed

noun

\ ˈgrēd

\

Kids Definition of greed

: selfish desire for more than is needed

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