greedier; greediest
1
: marked by greed : having or showing a selfish desire for wealth and possessions
greedy creditors
2
: eager, keen
greedy for fame
3
: having a strong desire for food or drink
a predator greedy of its prey
greedily adverb
greediness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for greedy

covetous, greedy, acquisitive, grasping, avaricious mean having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions.

covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

covetous of his brother's country estate

greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire.

greedy for status symbols

acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep.

an eagerly acquisitive mind

grasping adds to covetous and greedy an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means.

a hard grasping businesswoman who cheated her associates

avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

an avaricious miser

Examples of greedy in a Sentence

He was a ruthless and greedy businessman. There's no need to get greedy—there's plenty for everyone. He blames all his problems on greedy lawyers.
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.
Forget the greedy streamers: leave the job of filmmaking to people who care, to people like Corbet and Eisenberg, Fargeat and Zilbalodis. Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025 When Sue becomes greedy with her time, exceeding seven days on the outside, Elisabeth suffers the consequences, and things take a dark and twisted turn. Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025 Whitfield was introduced in season one as a greedy mining baron who has his eye on every last acre in Paradise Valley, including the Dutton ranch. Lynette Rice, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2025 Consciously or not, Orsolya has played an active role in such urban growth; her job is to evict people from the lots that have been gobbled up by the government and/or greedy real estate developers who want to turn them into condos, chain stores, and luxury hotels. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for greedy

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gredy, from Old English grǣdig; akin to Old High German grātac greedy

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Greedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greedy. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

greedy

adjective
greedier; greediest
1
: having a keen appetite
2
: having an eager and often selfish desire or longing
greedy for praise
3
: wanting more than one needs or more than one's fair share (as of food)
greedily adverb
greediness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on greedy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!