Synonym Chooser

How is the word wealthy distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of wealthy are affluent, opulent, and rich. While all these words mean "having goods, property, and money in abundance," wealthy stresses the possession of property and intrinsically valuable things.

wealthy landowners

Where would affluent be a reasonable alternative to wealthy?

In some situations, the words affluent and wealthy are roughly equivalent. However, affluent suggests prosperity and an increasing wealth.

an affluent society

When would opulent be a good substitute for wealthy?

The synonyms opulent and wealthy are sometimes interchangeable, but opulent suggests lavish expenditure and display of great wealth, more often applying to things than people.

an opulent mansion

When might rich be a better fit than wealthy?

The words rich and wealthy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rich implies having more than enough to gratify normal needs or desires.

became rich through shrewd investing

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 wealthy Mamdani, a democratic socialist, campaigned on rent freezes in the city, eliminating bus fares and increasing taxes on wealthy New Yorkers. Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025 Long-term, the primary beneficiaries of the GOP bill would be older, wealthier Americans, while younger, middle- to low-income people would see fewer benefits, according to the analysis from the Penn Wharton Budget Model, a University of Pennsylvania think tank that studies the fiscal issues. Alain Sherter, CBS News, 26 June 2025 Some of the world's wealthiest countries fund programs in low and middle income countries that aim to address poverty and access to education. Fatma Tanis, NPR, 26 June 2025 In laboratory settings, at least, efforts to get wealthier study participants to socially engage have proven beneficial. Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 15 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for wealthy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wealthy
Adjective
  • Parents in an affluent suburb, both with teenage daughters, their lives are upended when Carmack’s Tom Truby shows up at Ali’s doorstep.
    Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 22 June 2025
  • Events like these will attract an affluent international audience seeking more than just the two hours of entertainment that a regular day out at the soccer provides.
    David Ferrini, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • In 2020, an extensive research review found that a diet rich in spicy peppers was associated with less obesity, heart disease, and diabetes risk.
    Matt Fuchs, Time, 17 June 2025
  • China’s lunar program, Chang’e, has successfully landed multiple robotic missions and plans to build a research base near the lunar south pole—an area rich in water ice and potentially helium-3, a rare isotope that could revolutionize energy production through nuclear fusion.
    Avery Padraic Kerrigan, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wealthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wealthy. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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