1
: having abundant possessions and especially material wealth
2
a
: having high value or quality
b
: well supplied or endowed
a city rich in traditions
3
: magnificently impressive : sumptuous
4
a
: vivid and deep in color
a rich red
b
: full and mellow in tone and quality
a rich voice
c
: having a strong fragrance
rich perfumes
5
: highly productive or remunerative
a rich mine
6
a
: having abundant plant nutrients
rich soil
b
: highly seasoned, fatty, oily, or sweet
rich foods
c
: high in the combustible component
a rich fuel mixture
d
: high in some component
cholesterol-rich foods
7
a
b
: meaningful, significant
rich allusions
c
: lush
rich meadows
8
: pure or nearly pure
rich lime
richness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for rich

rich, wealthy, affluent, opulent mean having goods, property, and money in abundance.

rich implies having more than enough to gratify normal needs or desires.

became rich through shrewd investing

wealthy stresses the possession of property and intrinsically valuable things.

wealthy landowners

affluent suggests prosperity and an increasing wealth.

an affluent society

opulent suggests lavish expenditure and display of great wealth, more often applying to things than people.

an opulent mansion

Examples of rich in a Sentence

Her investments have made her rich. The dictionary is a rich source of information. a rich and spicy soup The food was a little too rich for me. Their country has a rich cultural heritage. This area has a rich history. She has a rich vocabulary.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The moment is at once rich with relief and freighted with ominousness: Lady Liberty is filmed upside down. Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024 A little salt balances the sweetness, and chocolate is rich, pleasantly, bitter, sweet and decadent. Melissa Gray, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2024 Its rich, thick formula feels weightless on the skin, providing deep hydration without any heavy sensation. Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2024 Musk, the world’s richest man and an omnipresent figure in Trump’s planning for a return to power, is to most objective observers far from a neutral player in the deep-pocketed intersection of government and private partners. Philip Elliott, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rich 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English riche, from Old English rīce; akin to Old High German rīhhi rich, Old English rīce kingdom, Old High German rīhhi, noun; all from prehistoric Germanic words borrowed from Celtic words akin to Old Irish (genitive ríg) king — more at royal

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rich was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near rich

Cite this Entry

“Rich.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rich. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

rich

adjective
1
: having great wealth : wealthy
2
a
: having high value
a rich harvest
b
: costly sense 1, valuable
rich robes
3
a
: having a large supply of some usually desirable quality or thing
a land rich in resources
b
: of pleasingly strong odor
rich perfumes
c
: very productive : fruitful, fertile
a rich mine
rich soils
d
: containing much seasoning, fat, or sugar
rich food
e
: high in fuel content
a rich mixture
4
a
: vivid and deep in color
rich red
b
: full and mellow in tone and quality
rich voice
5
: very amusing
a play with many rich lines
richness noun

Biographical Definition

Rich

biographical name

Adrienne Cecile 1929–2012 American poet

More from Merriam-Webster on rich

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