Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Excessively desirous of food or drink: Having or showing an intense, selfish, and often uncontrolled desire to consume more than is reasonable or necessary.
   • Excessively desirous of something, especially wealth or gain: Having an intense and selfish desire for more of something, such as money, power, or possessions, than one needs or deserves.

Usage

• The primary meaning describes an excessive, often unattractive, desire for more. It can apply to physical consumption (like food) or abstract acquisitions (like wealth or power).
• It is often used in a disapproving or critical context to describe selfish or insatiable behavior.
• Common constructions: "greedy for [something]" (e.g., greedy for power), "greedy with [something]" (e.g., greedy with resources).

Examples

• Describing excessive desire for consumption:
  • The greedy child took all the cake for himself.
  • Don't be so greedy with the cookies; leave some for others.
• Desiring excessive wealth, power, etc.:
  • The greedy corporation exploited its workers for greater profits.
  • He was greedy for fame and would do anything to achieve it.
  • They grew richer and greedier, never satisfied with what they had.

Advanced Usage

• "Greedy for": Shows a strong, often excessive, craving for a specific abstract thing.
  • Politicians greedy for power often lose sight of their constituents' needs.
• "Greedy of" (less common, more formal/literary): Similar to "greedy for."
  • He was greedy of gain, thinking only of his own wealth.

Variants and Related Words

• Greed (n): The intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.
  • His greed led to his eventual downfall.
• Greedily (adv): In a greedy manner.
  • He ate the meal greedily, as if he hadn't eaten in days.

Synonyms

• Avaricious: Having an extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
• Grasping: Eager to get or keep things, especially money; avaricious.
• Rapacious: Aggressively greedy or grasping.
• Insatiable: Impossible to satisfy. (Note: This is often a close synonym when describing the of the desire, e.g., an insatiable appetite.)
• Gluttonous: Excessively greedy when eating and drinking.

Antonyms

• Generous: Showing a readiness to give more of something than is strictly necessary or expected.
• Altruistic: Showing a selfless concern for the well-being of others.
• Moderate: Not excessive or extreme, especially in one's desires.
• Abstemious: Not self-indulgent, especially when eating and drinking.

Idioms and Phrases

• "Greedy guts" (informal, often used with children): A playful or mildly scolding term for someone who is being greedy, especially with food.
  • Come on, greedy guts, save some pizza for your sister!
• "Eye is bigger than one's stomach": This idiom describes someone who takes more food than they can actually eat, which is a form of greediness.
  • He piled his plate high, but his eyes were bigger than his stomach.

Adjective

1. wanting to eat or drink more than one can reasonably consume
   • don't be greedy with the cookies
2. (often followed by `for') ardently or excessively desirous
   • avid for adventure
   • an avid ambition to succeed
   • fierce devouring affection
   • the esurient eyes of an avid curiosity
   • greedy for fame
3. immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth
   • they are avaricious and will do anything for money
   • casting covetous eyes on his neighbor's fields
   • a grasping old miser
   • grasping commercialism
   • greedy for money and power
   • grew richer and greedier
   • prehensile employers stingy with raises for their employees