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• rich
  rich

  adjective

  having wealth or great possessions; abundantly supplied with resources, means, or funds; wealthy.
• Rich
  Rich

  noun

  Adrienne, 1929–2012, U.S. poet and feminist.

rich

¹ American  

[rich] / rɪtʃ /

adjective

• richer,
  comparative
• richest
  superlative

1. having wealth or great possessions; abundantly supplied with resources, means, or funds; wealthy.

   a rich man;

   a rich nation.

   Synonyms:

   moneyed, well-to-do

   Antonyms:

   poor

2. abounding in natural resources.

   a rich territory.

   Antonyms:

   poor

3. having wealth or valuable resources (usually followed byin ).

   a country rich in traditions.

   Antonyms:

   poor

4. abounding (usually followed by in orwith ).

   a countryside rich in beauty;

   a design rich with colors.

   Antonyms:

   poor

5. of great value or worth; valuable.

   a rich collection of antique vases.

   Antonyms:

   poor

6. (of food) delectably and perhaps unhealthfully spicy, or sweet and abounding in butter or cream: a rich pastry.

   a rich gravy;

   a rich pastry.

7. costly, expensively elegant, or fine, as dress or jewels.

   Synonyms:

   dear, high-priced, precious

8. elaborately abundant; sumptuous.

   a rich feast.

9. using valuable materials or characterized by elaborate workmanship, as buildings or furniture.

10. abounding in desirable elements or qualities.

    a man rich in kindness.

11. (of wine) strong and finely flavored.

12. (of color) deep, strong, or vivid.

    rich purple.

    Synonyms:

    vibrant, intense

13. full and mellow in tone: a rich voice.

    rich sounds;

    a rich voice.

14. strongly fragrant; pungent.

    a rich odor.

    Synonyms:

    aromatic

15. producing or yielding abundantly.

    a rich soil.

    Synonyms:

    luxuriant, prolific, productive, fruitful

    Antonyms:

    poor

16. abundant, plentiful, or ample.

    a rich supply.

    Synonyms:

    bounteous, copious, bountiful

    Antonyms:

    poor

17. Automotive. (of a mixture in a fuel system) having a relatively high ratio of fuel to air (contrasted with lean).

18. Informal.

    1. highly amusing.

    2. ridiculous; absurd.

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noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. rich persons collectively.

   new tax shelters for the rich.

Rich ² American  

[rich] / rɪtʃ /

noun

1. Adrienne, 1929–2012, U.S. poet and feminist.

2. a male given name, form of Richard.

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rich ¹ British  

/ rɪtʃ /

adjective

1. 1. well supplied with wealth, property, etc; owning much

   2. ( as collective noun ; preceded by the )

      the rich

2. having an abundance of natural resources, minerals, etc

   a land rich in metals

3. producing abundantly; fertile

   rich soil

4. well supplied (with desirable qualities); abundant (in)

   a country rich with cultural interest

5. of great worth or quality; valuable

   a rich collection of antiques

6. luxuriant or prolific

   a rich growth of weeds

7. expensively elegant, elaborate, or fine; costly

   a rich display

8. (of food) having a large proportion of flavoursome or fatty ingredients, such as spices, butter, or cream

9. having a full-bodied flavour

   a rich ruby port

10. (of a smell) pungent or fragrant

11. (of colour) intense or vivid; deep

    a rich red

12. (of sound or a voice) full, mellow, or resonant

13. (of a fuel-air mixture) containing a relatively high proportion of fuel Compare weak

14. very amusing, laughable, or ridiculous

    a rich joke

    a rich situation

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noun

1. See riches

Rich ² British  

/ rɪtʃ /

noun

1. 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)

2. Buddy , real name Bernard Rich . 1917–87, US jazz drummer and band leader

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rich Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing rich

• embarrassment of riches
• from rags to riches
• strike it rich

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Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overrichness
  noun
• richness
  noun
• overrich
  adjective
• superrich
  adjective
• ultrarich
  adjective
• overrichly
  adverb
• richly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• richer
  comparative
• richest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of rich

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”

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rich Rich richer richest

Inside the main residence, rich walnut floors and wood-covered ceilings create a warm atmosphere, while expansive windows bring in plenty of natural light.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

This can obviously come from bottled water, but also from what she describes as fluid rich tinned foods if supplies are short.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

“If any company sells a product that causes massive harm, they’ll get sued into oblivion,” he shared on X. “That’s how companies go broke and rich people become poor people.”

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

Despite a rich voice and a lifelong passion for sports, pairing the two was something that just happened, not something that was planned.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

Today he’s brought some crumbly brown meat that smells just wonderful, and then I get a bite in my mouth and, scratch my fur, it’s rich and delicious and dripping with fat.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

Green bubble replies: You can now send in-line replies and emoji reactions to photos in iPhone-Android conversations over Rich Communication Services or RCS.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Rich Preston, a BBC News journalist, was found to be a descendant of John Bridgens.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

Harry Shum Jr. of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Crazy Rich Asians” and, most notably, “Glee,” will return to his dance roots, performing alongside “DWTS” pro Jenna Johnson.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Rich said he hoped that figure would decrease if people understood the benefits of recycling food waste.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

The theory—a Rich American commissioning a Consummate Professional to steal a Great Painting—caught fire.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

After all, wasn’t American life saturated with rich men who seemed to get richer without doing any real work?

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

Deals that seemed to make sense for all parties then have aged badly for richer economies such as the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Their entire purpose is to make things taste deeper, richer and more satisfying, and on a Monday night I am happy to let them do their jobs.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

According to the findings, bulk NbSe2 may contain three interacting superconducting orders, suggesting that superconductivity in these materials is richer than previously recognized.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

Seeing some rich man get a little richer was something, and there wasn’t much else to do in East Texas on a Saturday night.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

“You have solved for the richest among us—well done. If you solve for the least among us, those who can never thank you, you have changed the world.”

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

Nigerians have been eager to have a piece of the energy business that was built up by the country's – and continent's – richest man: Aliko Dangote.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Ellison is one of the richest people on the planet, but he might also be one of the world’s most indebted and much of his wealth is tied to his Oracle stake.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

There’s plenty of buzz around both films ahead of their October releases, yet the richest man in the world is helping promote the “Musk” doc by incessantly posting about Gibney and his “hit” piece.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

The good news was that the flooding deposited rich, alluvial silt all over the fields, making the Nile delta the richest farmland in the ancient world.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• elegant
• expensive
• fertile
• full
• gorgeous
• lush
• plentiful
• smart
• splendid
• valuable