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rich people
wealthy people
super-wealthy people
high-income people
lucky people
elite people
rich foods
fat foods
dense foods
heavy foods
high-calorie foods
high-nutrient foods
rich variety
diverse variety
great variety
extensive variety
amazing variety
wide variety
rich history
vibrant history
immense history
strong history
proud history
extensive history
rich land
lush land

Synonym Chooser

How is the word rich distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of rich are affluent, opulent, and wealthy. While all these words mean "having goods, property, and money in abundance," rich implies having more than enough to gratify normal needs or desires.

became rich through shrewd investing

When would affluent be a good substitute for rich?

The words affluent and rich can be used in similar contexts, but affluent suggests prosperity and an increasing wealth.

an affluent society

When might opulent be a better fit than rich?

The words opulent and rich are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, opulent suggests lavish expenditure and display of great wealth, more often applying to things than people.

an opulent mansion

When can wealthy be used instead of rich?

The meanings of wealthy and rich largely overlap; however, wealthy stresses the possession of property and intrinsically valuable things.

wealthy landowners

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 rich Filmed over several days, their exchanges are rich with unexpected confessions, emotional memories, and previously unrevealed insights into the two-time Academy Award winner’s creative journey. Jamie Lang, Variety, 10 May 2025 Never as rich as its aesthetics intimate, the U.S. met the nineties financially—and, therefore, spiritually—depressed. Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 10 May 2025 But some movies really do honor the feeling and message of their source material and show why the author's words are so rich with cinematic potential. Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 10 May 2025 Aruba is culturally rich, with diverse ethnicities and dialects, including one of their native languages, Papiamentu, a common creole language spoken on the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for rich
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rich
Adjective
  • By 1960, Gros Michel exports had all but vanished from supermarket shelves; surviving plants only persisted in isolated, small-scale farms or private collections of wealthy aficionados who could afford the costly biosecurity measures necessary to keep them alive.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
  • Tilda Swinton and Michael Shannon play the mom and dad of a wealthy family holed up in a posh bunker in a salt mine, George MacKay plays their son who yearns to know about the inhospitable outside world, and Moses Ingram is the stranger who changes everything.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 May 2025
Adjective
  • Foods with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, such as dark chocolate, eggs, tea, blueberries, fatty fish, and more, can support mental health.
    Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 19 May 2025
  • Some clinicians have also observed low vitamin E levels in patients, though more research is needed to determine how widespread this is. Fats Fats are essential for nervous system repair and help maintain the myelin sheath,the fatty layer that protects nerve cells, Spechler said.
    Mark Weinstein, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Importantly, the latter car came with a more robust 2.5-liter engine using a seven-bearing crankshaft instead of one with only four main bearings.
    Robert Ross, Robb Report, 9 May 2025
  • After a robust 2024, the sector is set for even stronger growth this year, with revenues projected to increase by double digits.
    Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • In it, 1930s Mississippi is seen as a burgeoning and fertile place where blues music is created, as characters perform in moving cars and a juke joint is thrown together for the community to enjoy.
    Dan Heching, CNN Money, 10 May 2025
  • The goal is to create a fertile, well-draining environment that supports strong root establishment.
    Debbie Wolfe, Popular Science, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • These areas tend to have affluent shoppers who have the time for and interest in shopping that way.
    Alexandra Talty, New York Times, 17 May 2025
  • The hotel brand surveyed 503 affluent U.S. adults between late February and early March, defined as those with household income of at least $250,000; a minimum of $1 million in total assets, and those who typically spend $10,000 or more on leisure travel annually.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • Naval Academy freshmen take part in a greasy tradition.
    Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 16 May 2025
  • For a greasy machine, oil-absorbent paper can help, too.
    Alexis Berger, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • Fans from America to Europe to Australia bought his books and flocked to his one-man shows, and his potent doses of humor and hard truth enthralled both the highborn and the humble.
    Mary Ann Gwinn, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025
  • Fentanyl — a potent and deadly opioid laced into seven out of 10 pills seized by officers — wasn’t out on the street.
    Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • The volcano is a prolific erupter in part because of its location, Chadwick said.
    Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
  • The original 7th Heaven, which aired for 11 seasons across the CW and the CW, marked one of the last hits of prolific producer Aaron Spelling whose library is owned by CBS Studios.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rich.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rich. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on rich

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