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greed

[ greed ]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR greed ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions.

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RELATED WORDS

longing, hunger, avarice, excess, selfishness, gluttony, edacity, covetousness, indulgence, rapacity, voracity, acquisitiveness, avidity, cupidity, eagerness, intemperance, craving, esurience, insatiableness

Nearby words

  1. greco-,
  2. greco-roman,
  3. gree,
  4. greebo,
  5. greece,
  6. greedily,
  7. greediness,
  8. greedy,
  9. greedy guts,
  10. greegree

Origin of greed

First recorded in 1600–10; back formation from greedy
SYNONYMS FOR greed
avarice, avidity, cupidity, covetousness; voracity, ravenousness, rapacity. 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.
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR greed ON THESAURUS.COM
ANTONYMS FOR greed
generosity.
SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR greed ON THESAURUS.COM
Related formsgreed·less, adjectivegreed·some, adjective

gree

3
[ gree ]
/ gri /

verb (used with or without object), greed, gree·ing. British Dialect.

agree.

Origin of gree

3
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at gree2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for greed

British Dictionary definitions for greed

greed

/ (ɡriːd) /

noun

excessive consumption of or desire for food; gluttony
excessive desire, as for wealth or power
Derived Formsgreedless, adjective

Word Origin for greed

C17: back formation from greedy

gree

1
/ (ɡriː) /

noun Scot archaic

superiority or victory
the prize for a victory

Word Origin for gree

C14: from Old French gré, from Latin gradus step

gree

2
/ (ɡriː) /

noun obsolete

goodwill; favour
satisfaction for an insult or injury

Word Origin for gree

C14: from Old French gré, from Latin grātum what is pleasing; see grateful

gree

3
/ (ɡriː) /

verb grees, greeing or greed

archaic, or dialect to come or cause to come to agreement or harmony

Word Origin for gree

C14: variant of agree
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for greed

greed

n.

c.1600, a back-formation from greedy.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper