greedy
UK[ˈɡriːdi]US[ˈɡriːdi]
adj
Having or showing an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth or food.
Morpheme Breakdown
greed
y
greed
noun
y
adjective-forming suffix
Etymology
The word 'greedy' is a native English formation. Its core, 'greed', descends from the Proto-Germanic root grēdaz, which is related to Old English grǣdig (meaning 'hungry, covetous') and has cognates in other Germanic languages like Old High German grātac. The underlying sense connects an intense, often physical, craving for food with a more abstract, insatiable desire for possessions or gain. The addition of the productive adjectival suffix '-y' directly transforms the noun into a quality, creating a word that literally means 'full of greed' or 'characterized by an eager and selfish desire'.
Analysis
Structure: greed (noun) + y (adjective-forming suffix)
- greed: From Middle English 'gred', 'greede', meaning 'hunger, avarice', of Germanic origin.
- y: A native English suffix forming adjectives meaning 'characterized by; full of; inclined to'.
Examples
The greedy child took all the cookies for himself.
He was greedy for power and would do anything to get it.
The company's greedy pursuit of profit led to environmental damage.