greedy

greedy — adjective

1. having a need or wish for food, money, possessions, or power that is much strong

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

having a need or wish for food, money, possessions, or power that is much stronger than is normal, so that you always want more than you have or more than other people get.

Example

Asher's greedy cousin took the last three pieces of cake before anyone else could reach for one.

collocation: greedy + family member noun

The landlord was so greedy that he raised the rent every year even though nothing had improved.

Common collocations
  • greedy for power / money / fame / attention
  • greedy person / cousin / landlord / investor
  • greedy behaviour / desire / look
Synonyms
  • avaricious

    more formal, specifically about desiring wealth or money rather than food or power

  • materialistic

    focuses on valuing possessions and physical goods over other aspects of life

  • covetous

    formal; describes a strong desire for something that belongs to someone else

Antonyms
  • generous

    willing to give or share what you have with others

  • selfless

    caring more about other people's needs than your own

Grammar Patterns

greedy for + [desired thing]

greedy + noun

be + greedy

Usage Note

Frequently used with the preposition 'for' to indicate what is wanted (e.g., greedy for power, greedy for attention). Can also be used with 'with' to describe someone who does not like to share (e.g., greedy with his money). The word can describe either a temporary act or a lasting part of someone's personality.

Common Mistakes

He is greedy of money.
He is greedy for money.
'greedy' is followed by 'for', not 'of', when stating what a person wants.
She was greedy to eat all the cookies.
She was greedy and ate all the cookies.
'greedy' cannot be directly followed by a to-infinitive verb.

2. in computing and mathematics, describing a method of solving problems where the

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

in computing and mathematics, describing a method of solving problems where the best possible choice is made at each individual step, without planning ahead for how that decision will affect later stages.

Example

In the programming class, Leo learned how a greedy algorithm finds the shortest path one step at a time.

computing term: greedy algorithm + one step at a time

A greedy solution to the scheduling problem picks the earliest-ending task without looking any further ahead.

Common collocations
  • greedy algorithm / method / approach / solution
  • greedy strategy / search / heuristic
Synonyms
  • locally optimal

    the technical property a greedy method pursues; not a direct synonym but related in meaning

  • stepwise

    describes any method that proceeds one step at a time, not necessarily with greedy choices

Antonyms
  • globally optimal

    describes a solution that is best overall, not just at each step

Grammar Patterns

greedy + algorithm / method / approach / solution

Usage Note

Only used attributively (before a noun) in computing or mathematics contexts — e.g., a greedy algorithm, a greedy approach. Does not describe a person's character. The term comes from the idea that the method is 'greedy' in seeking immediate gain without considering the future.

Idioms

greedy guts

idiom

A person who eats more food than they should.

Mia called her brother a greedy guts for finishing the pizza.

Don't be a greedy guts; leave some cookies for your sister.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe wanting more than is reasonable, but they differ in what is wanted and how the desire is judged. Greedy is the most general and common — it can apply to food, money, power, or anything desirable, and it often carries a tone of disapproval for being excessive or selfish. Avaricious is formal and almost always limited to money or wealth; an avaricious person hoards money even when they have plenty. Materialistic focuses on valuing possessions and physical comfort over intellectual, spiritual, or relational things — a materialistic person buys things they do not need to feel satisfied. Covetous is the most formal and specifically means wanting something that belongs to someone else, like a covetous look at a neighbour's new car. While greedy can describe a temporary act of taking too much cake, the other three tend to describe lasting traits or attitudes.

greedy ↗avariciousmaterialistic ↗covetous

Common collocations

Adverbs

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'greedy' comes from Old English 'grædig', which originally meant simply 'hungry' or 'voracious'. It goes back to a Proto-Germanic root '*grēdagaz', meaning 'hungry, greedy', related to '*grēdu-' ('hunger'). By the Middle English period, the meaning had expanded beyond physical hunger to include an excessive desire for wealth, power, or possessions — the sense in which it is most commonly used today.