having wealth or great possessions; abundantly supplied with resources, means, or funds; wealthy.
a rich man;
a rich nation.
abounding in natural resources.
a rich territory.
having wealth or valuable resources (usually followed byin ).
a country rich in traditions.
abounding (usually followed by in orwith ).
a countryside rich in beauty;
a design rich with colors.
of great value or worth; valuable.
a rich collection of antique vases.
(of food) delectably and perhaps unhealthfully spicy, or sweet and abounding in butter or cream: a rich pastry.
a rich gravy;
a rich pastry.
costly, expensively elegant, or fine, as dress or jewels.
elaborately abundant; sumptuous.
a rich feast.
using valuable materials or characterized by elaborate workmanship, as buildings or furniture.
abounding in desirable elements or qualities.
a man rich in kindness.
(of wine) strong and finely flavored.
(of color) deep, strong, or vivid.
rich purple.
full and mellow in tone: a rich voice.
rich sounds;
a rich voice.
strongly fragrant; pungent.
a rich odor.
producing or yielding abundantly.
a rich soil.
abundant, plentiful, or ample.
a rich supply.
Automotive. (of a mixture in a fuel system) having a relatively high ratio of fuel to air (contrasted with lean).
Informal.
highly amusing.
well supplied with wealth, property, etc; owning much
( as collective noun ; preceded by the )
the rich
having an abundance of natural resources, minerals, etc
a land rich in metals
producing abundantly; fertile
rich soil
well supplied (with desirable qualities); abundant (in)
a country rich with cultural interest
of great worth or quality; valuable
a rich collection of antiques
luxuriant or prolific
a rich growth of weeds
expensively elegant, elaborate, or fine; costly
a rich display
(of food) having a large proportion of flavoursome or fatty ingredients, such as spices, butter, or cream
having a full-bodied flavour
a rich ruby port
(of a smell) pungent or fragrant
(of colour) intense or vivid; deep
a rich red
(of sound or a voice) full, mellow, or resonant
(of a fuel-air mixture) containing a relatively high proportion of fuel Compare weak
very amusing, laughable, or ridiculous
a rich joke
a rich situation
Adrienne. 1929–2012, US poet and feminist writer; her volumes of poetry include Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law (1963) and Diving Into the Wreck (1973)
Buddy , real name Bernard Rich . 1917–87, US jazz drummer and band leader
Rich, wealthy, affluent all indicate abundance of possessions. Rich is the general word; it may imply that possessions are newly acquired: an oilman who became rich overnight. Wealthy suggests permanence, stability, and appropriate surroundings: a wealthy banker. Affluent usually suggests a generous amount of income, with a high standard of living and some social prestige and privilege: an affluent family.
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English rīce (adjective), ultimately from Celtic; cognate with German reich “wealthy”; akin to Latin rēx, Sanskrit rājan “king”
The rich are the wealthy people in society. If you daydream of owning multi-billion dollar corporations and driving around in fancy cars, then you dream of being one of the rich. Rich is a cognate (meaning a word that sounds the same and means the same) with various of Germanic, Frisian, and Dutch words for "king." Now it tends to be an adjective meaning "abundant." That might be abundant money, as in your rich cousin Henry. A rich sauce is buttery and creamy and delicious. Rich land is fertile and abundant in crops. A rich idea has many possible applications. Rich coffee is full, dark and intense.
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They are a rich source of choline, which the body uses to produce compounds such as acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine that are essential for memory and communication between brain cells.
From Science Daily • May 7, 2026
Restrepo says the U.S. already has a rich tax system that can tax corporate income, which might suffice even as AI progresses.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
He accused Rwanda of profiting from DR Congo's rich mineral resources and dragging its feet on implementing the agreement signed in Washington in December.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
But the flip side is also false — that you need only sit back and do nothing, and you’ll get rich.
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
Asase turns to the other figure—a tall, slender individual with skin so dark and rich that it looks like polished onyx.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
