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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 cupidity
Tablets: Secrets of the Clay by Dunya Mikhail Sue Halpern
For the Love of Money
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
-
In the 13-episode epic, Our Blues’ Kim Woo-bin stars as Iblis, a Satanic genie who is utterly convinced of humanity’s inherent greed.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The larger themes of Midnight Timetable are about death and loss, yes, but how frequently greed and cruelty sprout from this fertile earth.—
Diana Arterian
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cupidity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cupidity. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share