greed

American  

[greed] / grid /

noun

1. excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions.

   Synonyms:

   rapacity, ravenousness, voracity, covetousness, cupidity, avidity, avarice

   Antonyms:

   generosity

---

greed British  

/ ɡriːd /

noun

1. excessive consumption of or desire for food; gluttony

2. excessive desire, as for wealth or power

---

Usage

What does greed mean? Greed is an excessive desire for more, especially for more money and possessions. The adjective greedy is used to describe people who are filled with greed, as in greedy billionaires, or actions that are based on greed, as in It was a greedy scheme to squeeze more money out of people.  Greed and greedy are always used negatively to criticize the excessive desire for more. Greed is often thought to influence people to do bad things in their obsession to acquire more money or more stuff. In the expression “the love of money is the root of all evil,” the love of money is another way of saying greed. Less commonly, greed can mean the same thing as gluttony—an excessive desire for food. Example: Wall Street’s unrestrained greed has infected every part of American society, from politics to healthcare to education.

Synonym Usage

Greed, greediness denote an excessive, extreme desire for something, often more than one's proper share. Greed means avid desire for gain or wealth (unless some other application is indicated) and is definitely uncomplimentary in implication: His greed drove him to exploit his workers. Greediness, when unqualified, suggests a craving for food; it may, however, be applied to all avid desires, and need not be always uncomplimentary: greediness for knowledge, fame, praise.

Other Word Forms

• greedless
  adjective
• greedsome
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of greed

First recorded in 1600–10; back formation from greedy

Explanation

Greed is an overwhelming urge to have more of something, usually more than you really need. Watching kids at a birthday party furiously grabbing for candy from a piñata, you might find yourself surprised at their greed. Greed is often connected with money, a desire to acquire as much of it as possible, but it can refer to that kind of urge toward anything, like food or material possessions. When you see greed, it's an ugly thing, whether you're observing a greedy person or the greed of a huge company that treats its workers badly in order to make more money. Greed comes from the Old English grædig, or "voracious," which means "always hungry for more."

Example Sentences

Plenty of members of bookish communities attribute it to plain old greed, but there’s also something more: influencer brain.

From Salon • Jul. 7, 2026

US attorney Sean S Buckley told the BBC: "Rather than being satisfied with the many legitimate opportunities afforded to him, Guo exploited the trust that thousands had placed in him for his own greed."

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

Human civilizations across the ages have understood this to be an important lesson, which is how gold became the go-to cautionary symbol for greed, vanity, and the hollow existence to which they lead.

From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026

Formative albums like “This Is A Long Drive...” and 1997’s “The Lonesome Crowded West” explored themes of endless travel and isolation amid American rural landscapes, as well as corporate greed and consumerism.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

“Oh, Hadel, you worry too much. There is no greed or pride in this, only beauty.”

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

• avarice
• excess
• gluttony
• hunger
• longing
• selfishness