avaricious

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled awaricious

US /ˌævəˈrɪʃəs/ UK /ˌævəˈrɪʃəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
extremely greedy for wealth or material gain

The avaricious merchant hoarded grain while his neighbors went hungry.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · extremely greedy for wealth... greedy grasping covetous rapacious miserly mercenary acquisitivegrabby

Opposites

generous charitable liberal altruistic bountiful

Word family

Derived forms avariciouslyavariciousness

Related forms avarice

Etymology

From Old French avaricieux, from avarice, from Latin avaritia ('greed'), from avarus ('greedy'), from avere ('to crave, desire').

avaritia Latin avarus Latin avere Italian

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# avaricious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌævəˈrɪʃəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌævəˈrɪʃəs/

## Meanings
1. extremely greedy for wealth or material gain

## Examples
- The avaricious merchant hoarded grain while his neighbors went hungry.

## Synonyms
- greedy
- grasping
- covetous
- rapacious
- miserly
- mercenary
- acquisitive
- grabby

## Antonyms
- generous
- charitable
- liberal
- altruistic
- bountiful

## Derived Forms
- avariciously
- avariciousness

## Related Forms
- avarice

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: avaritia
- Root: avarus
- Root: avere

## Etymology
From Old French avaricieux, from avarice, from Latin avaritia ('greed'), from avarus ('greedy'), from avere ('to crave, desire').

## AI Etymology
Avaricious is an adjective meaning "extremely greedy for wealth or material gain". Historically, it is from Old French avaricieux, from avarice, from Latin avaritia ('greed'), from avarus ('greedy'), from avere ('to crave, desire'). The historical chain links Latin avaritia, Latin avarus, and Latin avere. Close English family members include avariciously, avariciousness, and avarice. This keeps the modern adjective sense tied to the older forms and language sequence behind it.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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