greedy

adjective

ˈgrē-dē 

greedier; greediest

1

: marked by greed : having or showing a selfish desire for wealth and possessions

greedy creditors

2

: eager, keen

greedy for fame

3

: having a strong desire for food or drink

a predator greedy of its prey

greedily

ˈgrē-də-lē 

adverb

greediness

ˈgrē-dē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• acquisitive
• avaricious
• avid
• coveting
• covetous
• grabby
• grasping
• mercenary
• moneygrubbing
• rapacious

Choose the Right Synonym for greedy

covetous, greedy, acquisitive, grasping, avaricious mean having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions.

covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

covetous of his brother's country estate

greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire.

greedy for status symbols

acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep.

an eagerly acquisitive mind

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

avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

an avaricious miser

Examples of greedy in a Sentence

He was a ruthless and greedy businessman.

There's no need to get greedy—there's plenty for everyone.

He blames all his problems on greedy lawyers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Bulls make money, bears make money, pigs get slaughtered Cramer said the market action punished investors who’ve stayed negative, as well as short sellers and hedge funds that got greedy in the past few days. —Russell Leung, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025

There are also a number of Native American legends in which buzzards are portrayed as greedy and deceptive compared with other large birds. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025

This is a guy who’s greedy and has given into instincts and aspects of the human spirit that are not the most ennobling. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025

The human aggressors in Princess Mononoke are greedy and misguided, but are also capable of great empathy. —Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gredy, from Old English grǣdig; akin to Old High German grātac greedy

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for greedy

• beady
• guidi
• needy
• reedy
• seedy
• speedy
• tweedy
• weedy
• unready

Kids Definition

greedy

adjective

ˈgrēd-ē 

greedier; greediest

1

: having a keen appetite

2

: having an eager and often selfish desire or longing

greedy for praise

3

: wanting more than one needs or more than one's fair share (as of food)

greedily

ˈgrēd-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

greediness

ˈgrēd-ē-nəs 

noun