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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 The style is classic yet rustic, with smooth planks, a rich stain, decorative moldings along the rim, and baseboards along the bottom. Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Mar. 2025 Located in the Central Embassy mall, the restaurant specializes in Thai boat noodles—an aromatic soup made with rich, spiced broth, pork or beef, herbs, and the signature ingredient, a little pig or cow’s blood. Regan Stephens, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2025 Still, there’s an offbeat energy to the affair, with Burton layering an ominously stormy sky over a world rich in color and grandeur. Staff Author, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2025 Musk, the world’s richest person, owns about 411 million shares of Tesla, or a 13% stake in the company. Auzinea Bacon, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rich
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rich
Adjective
  • Whaling was also one of the few industries where Black Americans, both free and formerly enslaved, could make money and become wealthy.
    Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025
  • This season is set at The White Lotus resort in Thailand, where a wealthy businessman, Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs), is visiting with his wife, Victoria (Parker Posey) and their grown children Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Lochlan (Sam Nivola).
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • While white adipose tissue has one large fatty droplet, brown tissue has many tiny droplets, and lots of mitochondria.
    Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Foods such as eggs, fatty fish, dark, leafy greens, meat, bell peppers, and more contain the nutrients to help keep hair healthy.
    Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • For Xia, robust security isn't a response to industry events but has been Bitmart's core philosophy since day one.
    Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • In Naypyidaw, the seat of the junta, the regime has provided robust assistance, including water, temporary toilets, and phone-charging stations.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Its possible role in the emergence of the Ediacaran fauna has long been debated, with some researchers suggesting that the melting ice released nutrients into the sea, providing a fertile ground for complex life to evolve.
    David Bressan, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Communities with vaccination rates below the 95% threshold necessary to maintain herd immunity become fertile ground for measles outbreaks.
    Dr. Josh Green, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But in less affluent districts, property tax revenue is relatively low, so funding from the state makes up a more significant portion of the district’s budget.
    Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Unlike the predominantly White and affluent Covenant School, the middle school had a more diverse student body from working-class households, the report said.
    Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Ted presents the judge with a different affidavit, this time the one the greasy journalist provided them, and informs the court of the DA’s dirty tricks to strong-arm those papers.
    Ayan Artan, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The plastic sleeve also helps keep the beloved pieces of paper from being further damaged by greasy fingers and water droplets.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The Handmaid’s Tale is still more than capable of nightmarish images and emotionally potent sequences.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2025
  • To the contrary: Adding J.T. Miller was supposed to make the power play more potent.
    Arthur Staple, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • There was a moment when such industry stalwarts as producer J.J. Abrams or management mogul and L.A. Olympics czar Casey Wasserman, both prolific Democratic bundlers, seemed poised to assume the perch vacated by Katzenberg, but neither has yet met the challenge.
    Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Tombstone is streaming on Hulu, Fubo and FX Now. ‘Heat’ (1995) Val Kilmer stars in the key supporting role of Chris Shiherlis, the right-hand man of prolific thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) in Heat, an epic crime thriller written and directed by Michael Mann.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rich.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rich. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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