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
Sarah Wynn-Williams’s damning memoir of working at Facebook exposes the predatory cupidity of the company’s executives.
—
Rachel Nolan, The New York Review of Books, 9 May 2025
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
Rachel Nolan, The New York Review of Books, 9 May 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cupidity
greed
Noun
-
Just 100 years after the country’s founding, the highest office of the land was rife with corruption and greed.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Our brains evolved to spot danger, not to manage portfolios, and the instincts that once kept us alive now push us towards panic and greed.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cupidity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cupidity. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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