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REFERENCE

greed

n. · v.
US //ˈɡɹid// UK //ɡɹˈiːd// greed
  1. 1 desire for wealth or power (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a selfish desire to have more money or power than you need.

    an excessive and selfish desire for wealth, power, or status. Usually uncountable in this abstract sense.

    Example

    The company's downfall was caused by the pure greed of its directors.

    Example

    Critics argued that the housing crisis was exacerbated by corporate greed, as investors prioritised short-term profits over community stability.
    • avarice
    • acquisitiveness
    • cupidity
  2. 2 desire for food (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a desire to eat much more food than you need.

    an excessive desire for food; gluttony.

    Example

    He finished the entire cake himself out of pure greed.

    Example

    The child's greed for sweets was so great that he hid several chocolate bars under his pillow for later.
    • gluttony
    • voracity
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  1. 3 to desire greedily (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary

    to want something very much in a selfish way.

    to desire something in a greedy or acquisitive manner. This verbal use is significantly less common than the noun.

    Example

    He began to greed after the gold he saw in the window.

    Example

    In the old fable, the antagonist began to greed after his neighbour's fertile lands, eventually leading to his own ruin.

    Usage

    The verb is often followed by the preposition 'after' or 'for'.
Origin

c. 1600. Back-formation from greedy.

Word family

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