greed
- 01 B1 Intermediate
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.
Simple“The company's downfall was caused by the pure greed of its directors.”
In context“Critics argued that the housing crisis was exacerbated by corporate greed, as investors prioritised short-term profits over community stability.”
SynonymsavariceacquisitivenesscupidityAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a desire to eat much more food than you need.
n.an excessive desire for food; gluttony.
Simple“He finished the entire cake himself out of pure greed.”
In context“The child's greed for sweets was so great that he hid several chocolate bars under his pillow for later.”
SynonymsgluttonyvoracityAntonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
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.
Simple“He began to greed after the gold he saw in the window.”
In context“In the old fable, the antagonist began to greed after his neighbour's fertile lands, eventually leading to his own ruin.”
UsageThe verb is often followed by the preposition 'after' or 'for'.
c. 1600. Back-formation from greedy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.