Dictionary

greedy en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈɡɹiːdi/

Etymology

From Middle English gredy, from Anglian Old English grēdiġ (“greedy, hungry, eager”) (cognate West Saxon form grǣdiġ), from Proto-Germanic *grēdagaz (“hungry”), from Proto-Germanic *grēdaz, *grēduz, *grēdô (“hunger”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰer-. Equivalent to greed + -y. Cognate with Old Saxon grādag (“greedy”), Dutch graag (“gladly, willingly”), Old High German grātag (“greedy”), Danish grådig (“greedy”), Norwegian Bokmål grådig (“greedy”) (from Old Norse gráðigr (“greedy”), gráði (“greed, hunger”)), Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍃 (grēdags, “hungry”). Sanskrit गृद्धि (gṛddhi, “greed”) is a false cognate.

Meanings

1. Having greed; consumed by selfish desires.
   • “[…] Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing. Oh, dear, there's so much to tell you, so many warnings to give you, but all that must be postponed for the moment.” 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
   • For with ſuch puiſſance and impetuous maine / Thoſe Champions broke on them, that forſt the fly, / Like ſcattered Sheepe, whenas the Shepherds ſwaine / A Lyon and a Tigre doth eſpye, / With greedy pace forth ruſhing from the foreſt nye. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 14, page 311:
2. Prone to overeat.
3. (qualifier:regular expressions) Tending to match as much text as possible.
   • This regular expression performs a greedy match.
4. (of an algorithm) That tries to find the global optimum by finding the local optimum at each stage.
5. (archaic) Greedily sought or pursued.
   • Suppoſe they be in number infinit, Yet being voyd of Martiall diſcipline, All running headlong after greedie ſpoiles: […] Their careleſſe ſwords ſhal lanch their fellows throats And make vs triumph in their ouerthrow. c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:

Forms

Antonyms

nongreedy · reluctant · nongreedy · lazy

Deriveds

ungreedy · be fearful when others are greedy · greedy property · greed · be greedy when others are fearful · greedyguts · greedily · overgreedy · greediness · greedy algorithm

Descendants

gridi

Hypernyms

excessive

Synonyms

miserable · voracious · esurient · miserly · acquisitive · sharp-set · cormorant · edacious · greedy · piggish · gluttonous (prone to overeat) · sordid · grasping · selfish · avaricious · rapacious · covetous

Translations (185)

ca avar (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · km លោភោ (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ga amplach (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · grc φιλοκερδής (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · la avidus (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · te పొగరు (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ar شرِه (prone to overeat) · hu kapzsi (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · es avaricioso (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · nn grådig (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · yi גיריק (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · cy barus (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ga gionach (prone to overeat) · kea laskadu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · it ingordo (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · de gierig (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · it avido (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · cmn 貪婪的 /贪婪的 (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · gd gionach (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · uk жаді́бний (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · pt ganancioso (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · fr gourmand (prone to overeat) · be хі́жы (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · km លោភលន់ (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · es angurriento (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sdc abbramidu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ar جَشِع (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ga alpach (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ru ненасы́тный (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sdn inguddòssu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sc isurídu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ga antlásach (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sq lakmitar (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · pt avaro (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · hu falánk (prone to overeat) · ru жа́дный (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · yue 為食 /为食 (prone to overeat) · txb entsesse (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sc asuríu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sk nenásytný (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · unm xëlètie (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · de habsüchtig (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ja 貪欲な (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · izh ahmo (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · id serakah (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ru ска́редный (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · io avida (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sc abbramidu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · cs hamižný (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ga amplúil (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ar نهِم (prone to overeat) · oc avid (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ro zgârcit (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · uk жа́дний (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · dlm golaus (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · be хці́вы (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · oc avar (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · es ávido (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · es avariento (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · hy ագահ (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · cmn 貪心的 /贪心的 (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · fi ahne (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · mk лаком (prone to overeat) · ko 탐욕스럽다 (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · gl intivioso (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ca cobdiciós (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · no grådig (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · th โลภ (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · wa tinciveus (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · uk жа́дібний (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · pdt bejierich (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sc abbramiu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · de gefräßig (prone to overeat) · el άπληστος (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · oc cobejós (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · id loba (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · he חמדן (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ru а́лчный (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ar طَمَّاع (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sk chamtivý (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · pl skąpy (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · pl chciwy (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · lnd mangaa (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · id rakus (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sc mandigadore (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · et ahne (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · it goloso (prone to overeat) · fi ahnas (prone to overeat) · yi זשעדנע (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sc alarpu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sl pohlepen (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · da grådig (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ota حریص (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ga alpach (prone to overeat) · uk жадли́вий (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · es avorazado (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · de habgierig (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · fr avaricieux (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ckb چاو برسی (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · jam craven (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sk hrabivý (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · kix wāmwāmnyū (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · cs nenasytný (prone to overeat) · sk chtivý (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ne लोभी (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sdc ucciòni (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · fa حریص (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ca cobejós (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · kea guloze (prone to overeat) · ba ҡомһоҙ (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ko 욕심 많다 (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · fy gjirrich (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · wa golafe (prone to overeat) · nl hebzuchtig (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ba хирес (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sc ispasteradu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · bg лаком (prone to overeat) · hu mohó (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · wyi buladu gaang (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · bg а́лчен (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · gl cobizoso (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · gl eigoto (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ru скупо́й (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · is gráðugur (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · gd sanntach (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · pt guloso (prone to overeat) · yue 貪心 /贪心 (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ba ҡомағай (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · nn grådug (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · mi touapo (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · gl degorado (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sh pohlepan (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ga cíocrach (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · be пра́гны (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · yi אײַנרײַסעריש (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ca avariciós (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sc asurídu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ota آج (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sv girig (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · es glotón (prone to overeat) · srn gridi (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · tl matakaw (prone to overeat) · dlm gulaus (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ro lacom (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sdn strùziu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sc esurídu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · bo ཧམ་པ་ཚ་པོ (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ang ġīfre (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · grc πλεονέκτης (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · es codicioso (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · arz بخيل (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · es avaro (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sc isgrasumìdu (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · fr avide (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · fa آزمند (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · mk алчен (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · uk жадни́й (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · pa ਲਾਲਚੀ (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · kea laskadu (prone to overeat) · kea langon (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · es tragón (prone to overeat) · ca àvid (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · sh похлепан (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · cy gwancus (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · nrf grédin (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · af gulsig (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · vi tham lam (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · fa رژد (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · vi tham (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · cs chtivý (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · la trahāx (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · la avārus (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · cs chamtivý (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ba ҡомһоҙ (prone to overeat) · ar بَخِيل (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · ga santach (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · id tamak (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · fr cupide (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · kea gulós (prone to overeat) · eo avida (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · tr açgözlü (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · km លោភ (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · xal ховдг (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · hi लालची (having greed; consumed by selfish desires) · hi लोभी (having greed; consumed by selfish desires)