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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 greedy 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 greedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for greedy
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
  • 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
  • That was part of what made the press so ravenous to have at her.
    Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
Adjective
  • In the comment section, fans were excited to see an intimate piece of her life.
    Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 1 July 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • 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
  • His approach, on and off the pitch, has had a transformative effect and as Palace seek to secure him on a new contract, there have been covetous glances cast in his direction from clubs in the German Bundesliga.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • That's because tomatoes are notoriously hungry for nutrients, and broccoli will compete for the same selection of nutrients in the soil.
    Steve Bender, Southern Living, 29 June 2025
  • Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza.
    WAFAA SHURAFA, Arkansas Online, 29 June 2025
Adjective
  • Trump has been an avid proponent of reshoring U.S. manufacturing, using tariffs as a leverage to convince companies to build plants in the U.S. and attacking Apple for manufacturing its iPhones in Asia.
    Danny Bakst, Fortune, 26 June 2025
  • Residents who live near a fishing location, spend a lot of time near the water or are avid boaters are encouraged to get involved.
    Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 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
Adjective
  • Along the way, the administration recast the U.S. commitment to European security from a mutually beneficial partnership to a sucker’s game that enabled gluttonous free-riding at Americans’ expense.
    Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
  • And there's history of the market going from existential panic to exhilarating audacity in a blink, such as when the 1998 near-bear market on hedge-fund blowups reversed to give way to the gluttonous risk binge of 1999.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 9 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Greedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/greedy. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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