Avaricious \Av`a*ri"cious\ ([a^]v`[.a]*r[i^]sh"[u^]s), a. [Cf.
F. avaricieux.]
Actuated by avarice; greedy of gain; immoderately desirous of
accumulating property.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: Greedy; stingy; rapacious; griping; sordid; close.
Usage: Avaricious, Covetous, Parsimonious, Penurious,
Miserly, Niggardly. The avaricious eagerly desire
wealth with a view to hoard it. The covetous grasp
after it at the expense of others, though not of
necessity with a design to save, since a man may be
covetous and yet a spendthrift. The penurious,
parsimonious, and miserly save money by disgraceful
self-denial, and the niggardly by meanness in their
dealing with others. We speak of persons as covetous
in getting, avaricious in retaining, parsimonious in
expending, penurious or miserly in modes of living,
niggardly in dispensing.
[1913 Webster] --
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
avariciousness
n : extreme greed for material wealth [syn: avarice, covetousness,
cupidity]
WordNet (r) 2.0
|
|
|