as in greed
an intense selfish desire for wealth or possessions
reports of great treasure in the Indies inflamed the cupidity of Columbus's crew
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Recent Examples of cupidity
Pilgrimage, though couched in spiritual aims, often bordered on sheer cupidity.
—
Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
To cupidity, and beyond!
—Kyle Smith, WSJ, 16 June 2022
Céline often accused Rosembly of having stolen the manuscripts from his apartment in the chaos of the war’s end; certainly, Rosembly was imprisoned for looting various collaborators’ apartments in Montmartre, where Céline used to live, though whether out of revenge or cupidity is also unclear.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 15 June 2022
The meaning of cupidity: a strong desire for wealth.
—Dallas News, 1 June 2022
Call the content misdemeanor populism, representing in each instance the recourse of someone motivated by need or only petty cupidity.
—Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2022
In Williams’s telling, the capitalists turned against slavery out of cupidity rather than humanity.
—James Oakes, The New York Review of Books, 23 Mar. 2021
What keeps us from tuning out is the infectious energy of an ensemble that delights in its characters’ displays of cupidity and stupidity, and the storybook ingenuity of the physical production.
—Ben Brantley, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2018
And if anyone shall be led by his cupidity or arrogance to break this truce, by the authority of God and with the sanction of this Council he shall be anathematized.
—James Carroll, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2017
Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
To cupidity, and beyond!
—Kyle Smith, WSJ, 16 June 2022
Céline often accused Rosembly of having stolen the manuscripts from his apartment in the chaos of the war’s end; certainly, Rosembly was imprisoned for looting various collaborators’ apartments in Montmartre, where Céline used to live, though whether out of revenge or cupidity is also unclear.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 15 June 2022
The meaning of cupidity: a strong desire for wealth.
—Dallas News, 1 June 2022
Call the content misdemeanor populism, representing in each instance the recourse of someone motivated by need or only petty cupidity.
—Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2022
In Williams’s telling, the capitalists turned against slavery out of cupidity rather than humanity.
—James Oakes, The New York Review of Books, 23 Mar. 2021
What keeps us from tuning out is the infectious energy of an ensemble that delights in its characters’ displays of cupidity and stupidity, and the storybook ingenuity of the physical production.
—Ben Brantley, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2018
And if anyone shall be led by his cupidity or arrogance to break this truce, by the authority of God and with the sanction of this Council he shall be anathematized.
—James Carroll, The New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cupidity
Noun
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Prosecutors said the killings were motivated by greed, pointing to a multimillion-dollar inheritance.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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Prosecutors argued the brothers acted out of greed, resorting to murder to get their multimillion-dollar inheritances before being cut out of their parents’ will.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cupidity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cupidity. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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