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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 Manipulating these obviously very greedy and avaricious [people] is still kind of beneath his skills. Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025 These accusations were often contradictory — Jews were cast as both the masterminds of capitalism and the architects of communism — but always with the same underlying theme: Jews as manipulators, greedy and untrustworthy, enriching themselves at others’ expense. Avi Weiss, New York Daily News, 10 Aug. 2025 The President’s Cake, from a multiple award winner at Cannes, Iraqi filmmaker Hasan Hadi, a heartbreaking and unforgettable look at a country crushed by poverty and international sanctions — and ruled by a sadistic, greedy and vain tyrant. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025 Though one is a human innovation and the other hails from a distant world, neither would’ve posed a danger had greedy tech barons not released them from the Pandora’s box of scientific progress. Judy Berman, Time, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for greedy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for greedy
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
  • Screwworms—or technically New World Screwworms (NWS)—are parasitic flies that spawn hundreds of ravenous larvae in the wounds and orifices of a wide range of warm-blooded animals.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2025
  • For seven years, Michael Polsky has been trying to build a high-voltage power line from the windswept prairies of Kansas to the ravenous electrical grids of the Midwest and East Coast.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Plus, the service lost subscribers last quarter—a show people are excited about could lure back some whose bundles expired.
    Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Like her popular work with Timberland, which includes glossy, patent leather versions of the brand’s boots and a 14-inch heel, Carter’s Nike debut wasn’t afraid to take chances, which has us even more excited for what’s to come next from the collaboration.
    Riley Jones, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 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 freezing rain then traps lichen under a thick layer of ice where hungry reindeer can’t reach the food, according to Anna Skarin, a reindeer husbandry expert and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences professor.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
  • These facilities, dense with high-performance servers and cooling systems, are among the most power-hungry assets in the country.
    Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • As for their own personal favorites, Walzideh has shifted from an avid romance reader to a romantasy fan.
    Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
  • In January, the Birding & Wildlife Festival brings together avid avian enthusiasts.
    Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Banijay has been among the most acquisitive independent TV makers of recent years, and now reportedly has its sights on ITV.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • With today’s gluttonous demand for energy, nuclear is a realistic concept.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 24 July 2025
  • Wimpy was a mild-mannered, soft-spoken, lazy, parsimonious, and utterly gluttonous hamburger-wolfing straight man to Popeye.
    Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Greedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/greedy. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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