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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
Adjective
To be patient but not to be greedy, Lilian thought now, studying Maureen’s pale eyelids. Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025 So, to be greedy in the current climate of fear, my recommendation is to follow Jensen’s advice: Buy more to make more, but make data center investments in locations that provide access to scale, density and low-latency proximity to key population centers and cloud regions. Tom Traugott, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025 Trees were cheap, trees were ugly, trees were bookish, trees were greedy. Literary Hub, 12 June 2025 The history of finance is one of the rise and fall of institutions, sometimes when managers become complacent or greedy. Hugh Son, CNBC, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for greediness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for greediness
Noun
  • Avatar is very much a look at environmentalism, and ravaging natural resources for greed and corruption.
    Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 27 June 2025
  • Irrational Behavior In Supply Chains From my observations, irrational behavior is common in supply chains, driven by factors such as fear, greed and misaligned incentives.
    Shekar Natarajan, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Multiplied across numerous markets in every state, the LIHTC fuels more and more grasping for cash instead of reductions to make housing easier to create.
    Roger Valdez, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Weatherspoon brings a sweetness to each page that slowly builds to a sensual climax, leaving you ravenous for more.
    Ashley Poston, New York Times, 21 May 2025
  • Fans became so ravenous that multiple guests drove hours for a taste, sometimes visiting from other states, only to find no physical space for dining.
    Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • According to recent research from the global consumer research platform, GWI, 60% of consumers are excited for the further development of AI tools.
    Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • In the comment section, fans were excited to see an intimate piece of her life.
    Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • This is, in part, correct: Voldemort is extremely covetous of power.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
  • Image Meet Me at the Crossroads by Megan Giddings The sudden appearance of seven mysterious doors across the world draws attention from religious sects, covetous billionaires and everyday people who speculate over what lies on the other side.
    Laura Thompson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • At the time, Alexx was an independent creative hungry to make his mark, while Weezy was a rising voice in podcasting still figuring out her next steps.
    Essence, Essence, 11 July 2025
  • Wall Street is hungry for the Snack Wrap: The return of the popular McDonald’s menu item has fueled a stock market surge for the fast food chain.
    Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • As avid travelers know, Away luggage recently became available at Amazon, and now, the rarely-ever-on-sale brand is sporting some big markdowns in honor of Prime Day.
    Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
  • Both West and Fuentes were avid supporters of Trump who repeatedly had made antisemitic remarks.
    Josh Meyer, USA Today, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • The competitive battle for smaller players continued into the early 1960s until antitrust laws curtailed the acquisitive sprees.
    Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
  • Over its history OpenText has been an highly acquisitive company to build out its software stack.
    GuruFocus, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Greediness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/greediness. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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