wealthy

wealthy — adjective

1. A wealthy person, family, or community has a large amount of money and valuable

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

A wealthy person, family, or community has a large amount of money and valuable things, so they live very comfortably.

Example

The Tanaka family became wealthy after their small bakery grew into a national chain.

become wealthy + [reason/cause]

Théo inherited a large house from his wealthy grandmother, who had saved for decades.

Common collocations
  • wealthy family
  • wealthy businessman
  • wealthy nation
  • wealthy neighborhood
  • wealthy investor
Synonyms
  • rich

    the most common word; less formal and used in a wider range of contexts

  • affluent

    more formal; suggests an upper-class lifestyle and social standing

  • well-off

    informal; suggests comfort rather than extreme wealth

  • prosperous

    focuses on ongoing financial success and economic growth

Antonyms
  • poor

    the direct opposite — having very little money

  • needy

    more urgent; lacking basic necessities

Grammar Patterns

be wealthy

become wealthy

wealthy + noun

Usage Note

Wealthy is slightly more formal than rich and often describes a long-established financial situation rather than a recent gain.

Common Mistakes

The cake was very wealthy and creamy.
The cake was very rich and creamy.
'Wealthy' only describes people, families, communities, or places with money, not food or experiences.

wealthy — noun

Word family

  • wealth
    nounB1
  • wealthily
    adverbC1
  • wealthiness
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe having more than enough money, but they differ in formality, scope, and connotation. Rich is the most common and neutral term, used in both formal and informal settings — you can call a person, a country, or even food rich. Wealthy is slightly more formal and suggests long-established, stable financial standing rather than sudden gains. Affluent is the most formal of the group and often implies an upper-class lifestyle with social status to match. Well-off is informal and conversational, suggesting comfort without extreme luxury. Prosperous adds a sense of active economic growth and success. For example, a startup founder might become rich quickly but not yet be called wealthy or affluent; a family business that has grown steadily over generations would be described as wealthy or prosperous rather than merely well-off.

rich ↗affluentwell-offprosperous

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • become wealthy
  • grow wealthy
  • wealthy beyond measure

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Wealthy comes from Middle English welthy, formed from wele (meaning 'well-being' or 'welfare') and the suffix -y. The root wele traces back to Old English wela, which itself comes from a Proto-Germanic word meaning 'well-being'. In early use, wealthy could describe general well-being, but by the 14th century it had narrowed to focus on material riches — the sense it still carries today.