Word
greed
US/ˈɡɹid/
UK/ɡɹˈiːd/
Definitions
01desire for wealth or power
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a selfish desire to have more money or power than you need.
n. an excessive and selfish desire for wealth, power, or status. Usually uncountable in this abstract sense.
日本語:欲ばり、強欲※
“The company's downfall was caused by the pure greed of its directors.”
“Critics argued that the housing crisis was exacerbated by corporate greed, as investors prioritised short-term profits over community stability.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02desire for food
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a desire to eat much more food than you need.
n. an excessive desire for food; gluttony.
“He finished the entire cake himself out of pure greed.”
“The child's greed for sweets was so great that he hid several chocolate bars under his pillow for later.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03to desire greedily
C2 · Proficiency Literary
v. to want something very much in a selfish way.
v. to desire something in a greedy or acquisitive manner. This verbal use is significantly less common than the noun.
“He began to greed after the gold he saw in the window.”
“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'.
Etymology
c. 1600. Back-formation from greedy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/greed
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0