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Synonym Chooser

How is the word rich distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of rich are affluent, opulent, and wealthy. While all these words mean "having goods, property, and money in abundance," rich implies having more than enough to gratify normal needs or desires.

became rich through shrewd investing

When would affluent be a good substitute for rich?

The words affluent and rich can be used in similar contexts, but affluent suggests prosperity and an increasing wealth.

an affluent society

When might opulent be a better fit than rich?

The words opulent and rich are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, opulent suggests lavish expenditure and display of great wealth, more often applying to things than people.

an opulent mansion

When can wealthy be used instead of rich?

The meanings of wealthy and rich largely overlap; however, wealthy stresses the possession of property and intrinsically valuable things.

wealthy landowners

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 rich Upon returning to the United States, Dr. Mielke became interested in how different creatures live together and create a rich soil in the prairies. Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025 Coconut is a high-calorie food rich in saturated fat that could potentially impact your heart disease risk. Sherri Gordon, Health, 27 Aug. 2025 Restoration of personal identities acknowledges rich and sometimes complicated life experiences: the joys, the connections to family and community, and the personal hardships. Lashawn Harris august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025 The whiskey features rich aromas of vanilla, pipe tobacco, old leather, and cinnamon. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rich
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rich
Adjective
  • Cadence Sinclair Eastman comes from a wealthy family that visits Beechwood Island, near Martha’s Vineyard, every summer.
    Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The best option to fix this problem is for wealthy people to pay their share.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Category 3: High-fat dairy, refined carbohydrates, fatty meat.
    Sheah Rarback, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Instead, prioritize sources of heart-healthy unsaturated fats like fatty fish, nuts, seeds, non-tropical vegetable oils, and avocado.
    Isabel Vasquez RD LDN, Health, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Insurers that sell these plans don't offer all of the robust benefits of ACA plans.
    Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Wheaton Precious Metals stock (NYSE: WPM) has increased by 61% year-to-date, driven by a robust mix of rising precious metal prices, outstanding operational results, and increasing institutional confidence.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Perhaps the most fertile ground for projects merging beauty and jewelry is in high perfumery, as fragrance bottles can double as objets d’art.
    Milena Lazazzera, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
  • From a coconut farm to the Queen City Nguyen was born in the Ben Tre province and grew up on a coconut farm in the Mekong Delta, a fertile, roadless region characterized by its rivers and rich agriculture.
    Virginia Brown, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Frierson, 60, who stands 6-feet tall, has made good use of her comeback story — and her big heart and big personality — to attract supporters from all over Nashville, including the city's most affluent areas.
    Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Already reeling from the loss of the popular couple, neighbors in their affluent community — which has seen an uptick in crime recently — demanded answers.
    Danielle Bacher, People.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The sandwich, featuring ground meat—generally beef—suspended in a thick, sweet tomatoey sauce, has become an avatar of the horrible school lunch, a cliché that tends to go along with hairnets, greasy aprons, and other elements of canteen grotesquerie.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Then, dry the area and see if any greasy residue remains.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Current cannabis products pack a punch Products today are more potent, according to the state audit.
    Amelia Wu, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2025
  • Recipe Tips For Cream Cheese Mints Make sure to choose mint extract and not mint oil (which is much more potent).
    Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In 2024, SpaceX conducted a record-breaking 134 orbital launches, more than double the amount of launches done by the next most prolific launch provider, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, according to science and technology consulting firm BryceTech.
    Magdalena Petrova, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Prater is a billionaire philanthropist who secretly collects trophies from famous serial killers and hosts gatherings for the most prolific of them.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rich.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rich. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

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