rich

[rich]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rich ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, rich·er, rich·est.

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 by in): a country rich in traditions.

abounding (usually followed by in or with): a countryside rich in beauty; a design rich with colors.

of great value or worth; valuable: a rich harvest.

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

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

sumptuous; elaborately abundant: 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: 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 lean²def 5).

Informal.

highly amusing.
ridiculous; absurd.

noun

(used with a plural verb) rich persons collectively (usually preceded by the): new tax shelters for the rich.

Origin of rich

before 900; Middle English; Old English rīce (adj.) ≪ Celtic; cognate with German reich wealthy; akin to Latin rēx, Sanskrit rājan king

Related formsrich·ly, adverbrich·ness, nouno·ver·rich, adjectiveo·ver·rich·ly, adverbo·ver·rich·ness, nounsu·per·rich, adjective, nounul·tra·rich, adjective, noun

Synonyms for rich

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rich ON THESAURUS.COM

1. well-to-do, moneyed. 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. 5. bountiful, copious, luxuriant. 7. precious, high-priced, dear. 12. intense, vibrant. 14. aromatic. 15. fruitful, productive, prolific, luxuriant. 16. bountiful, copious, abounding, bounteous.

Antonyms for rich

1–5, 15, 16. poor.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for richness

abundance, lavishness, affluence, plenty, bounty, luxuriance

Examples from the Web for richness

Contemporary Examples of richness

What adds a richness to the stories is the way you take relationships themselves as an overriding theme.
Tony Earley's Imaginary Friends
Mindy Farabee
September 2, 2014
Indeed, red — because of its vibrancy and richness — has served as a powerful symbol since the beginning of civilization.
Scarlet Is the New Black
Raquel Laneri
August 31, 2014
What a love, joy, adventure and richness you and your brother brought to our home.
The Army Lied About the Hero Who Died Looking for Bowe Bergdahl
Michael Daly
June 4, 2014
But I think his backstory is just part of the richness of the character.
Meet the Red Viper: Pedro Pascal on Game of Thrones’ Kinky, Bisexual Hellraiser
Marlow Stern
March 26, 2014
For me, it's the vulnerability, openness, and richness of his voice that does it.
Beyoncé Rocks Tom Ford; Fast Retailing Backs Out of J. Crew Deal
The Fashion Beast Team
March 19, 2014

Historical Examples of richness

His language has the richness and sententious fullness of the Chinese.
The Last of the Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper
There is no cheese superior to them in richness and mildness.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches
Eliza Leslie
The woods were in all the depth and richness of a Southern spring.
The Rock of Chickamauga
Joseph A. Altsheler
"Pennyr'yal," she said happily, and felt the richness of being.
Meadow Grass
Alice Brown
Its tone was velvety in its richness, nor was there the least inflection of astonishment in its tone.
The Law-Breakers
Ridgwell Cullum

British Dictionary definitions for richness

richness

noun

the state or quality of being rich

ecology the number of individuals of a species in a given area

Rich

noun

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

adjective

well supplied with wealth, property, etc; owning much
(as collective noun; preceded by the)the rich

(when postpositive , usually foll by in) having an abundance of natural resources, minerals, etca land rich in metals

producing abundantly; fertilerich soil

(when postpositive , usually foll by in or with) well supplied (with desirable qualities); abundant (in)a country rich with cultural interest

of great worth or quality; valuablea rich collection of antiques

luxuriant or prolifica rich growth of weeds

expensively elegant, elaborate, or fine; costlya rich display

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

having a full-bodied flavoura rich ruby port

(of a smell) pungent or fragrant

(of colour) intense or vivid; deepa rich red

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

(of a fuel-air mixture) containing a relatively high proportion of fuelCompare weak (def. 12)

very amusing, laughable, or ridiculousa rich joke; a rich situation

noun

See riches

Word Origin for rich

Old English rīce (originally of persons: great, mighty), of Germanic origin, ultimately from Celtic (compare Old Irish rī king)

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 richness

mid-14c., from rich (adj.) + -ness.

rich

adj.

Old English rice "strong, powerful; great, mighty; of high rank," in later Old English "wealthy," from Proto-Germanic *rikijaz (cf. Old Norse rikr, Swedish rik, Danish rig, Old Frisian rike "wealthy, mighty," Dutch rijk, Old High German rihhi "ruler, powerful, rich," German reich "rich," Gothic reiks "ruler, powerful, rich"), borrowed from a Celtic source akin to Gaulish *rix, Old Irish ri (genitive rig) "king," from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line," hence, "direct, rule" (see rex).

The form of the word was influenced in Middle English by Old French riche "wealthy, magnificent, sumptuous," which is, with Spanish rico, Italian ricco, from Frankish *riki "powerful," or some other cognate Germanic source.

Old English also had a noun, rice "rule, reign, power, might; authority; empire." The evolution of the word reflects a connection between wealth and power in the ancient world. Of food and colors, from early 14c.; of sounds, from 1590s. Sense of "entertaining, amusing" is recorded from 1760. The noun meaning "the wealthy" was in Old English.

Idioms and Phrases with richness

rich

In addition to the idiom beginning with rich

rich as Croesus

also see:

embarrassment of riches
from rags to riches
strike it rich