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greedy

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adjective

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective greedy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of greedy are acquisitive, avaricious, covetous, and grasping. While all these words mean "having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions," greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire.

greedy for status symbols

When is it sensible to use acquisitive instead of greedy?

In some situations, the words acquisitive and greedy are roughly equivalent. However, acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep.

an eagerly acquisitive mind

When is avaricious a more appropriate choice than greedy?

The words avaricious and greedy can be used in similar contexts, but avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

an avaricious miser

Where would covetous be a reasonable alternative to greedy?

The meanings of covetous and greedy largely overlap; however, covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

covetous of his brother's country estate

How does the word grasping relate to other synonyms for greedy?

Grasping adds to covetous and greedy an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means.

a hard grasping businesswoman who cheated her associates

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 greediness
Noun
People in the comments shared in the woman’s frustration, agreeing that her mother's greediness needs to be addressed. Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025 When kids didn’t withdraw, it was sometimes seen as greediness. Mary Frances Ruskell, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
But his greedy schemes and her desire to keep her dog immortal led to the downfall of her once-thriving business and turned her into a woman on the run. Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025 Women are greedy, untrustworthy, weak and inferior, these influencers say. Will Carless, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for greediness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for greediness
Noun
  • And Trump should not be surprised when millions of Americans stand up to his authoritarianism and his greed.
    Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Some cases even involve disgruntled family members acting out of greed.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Engineers still struggle to replicate a grasping human hand, or the hand-eye coordination of a human brain.
    Natan Linder, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The imperial Presidency: Designs on Greenland, promises to take back the Panama Canal, threats of tariffs on countries ranging from Colombia to Taiwan—how did a President who once pledged isolationism become so grasping?
    Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Those ravenous fans still gave it a rare A+ CinemaScore, naturally, which is certainly kinder than some music critics were to the album itself.
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2025
  • But few of the directors who would join V/H/S over the years that followed introduced a more memorable creature — a birdlike demon who oscillates from purring affection to ravenous rage — or so skillfully tracked the running bodies captured by a running camera.
    A.A. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Jones is particularly excited about the opportunities for personalization.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
  • But while countless fans couldn’t be more excited for Bad Bunny’s showcase, other people — including the president of the United States — aren’t as keen that a primarily Spanish-speaking artist got the gig.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • For most players, that amount of storage is realistically enough for all but the most covetous data hoarders.
    Matt Kamen, Wired News, 3 Aug. 2025
  • This is, in part, correct: Voldemort is extremely covetous of power.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • The sensational turn in the case fueled breathless news coverage as the public became hungry for any revelation about the brothers’ motives or the dark secrets that had been festering inside the Menendez family home.
    Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
  • This familiar restaurant is a magnet for hungry thru hikers passing through town since it’s located directly on the Appalachian Trail.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • According to concerned parents, Henrikson was an avid supporter of fellow 6th-grade teacher Jeanine Rupert, who was reassigned by the district following an incident towards the end of the previous school year.
    David Chiu, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
  • In 2006, Clendenen — an avid runner and reader in her down time — joined the San Diego Police Department with an interest in investigations.
    Ashley Mackin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Building out that platform and benefiting as more teams are plugged into it has meant Leonsis and MSE have stayed acquisitive.
    Ian Thomas, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Retail e-commerce penetration had surged during the pandemic, which brought a rush of acquisitive capital into the space.
    Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Greediness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/greediness. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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