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Someone who is abstemious avoids doing too much of something enjoyable, such as eating or drinking; rather, they consume in a moderate fashion.
Abstinence is the practice of keeping away from or avoiding something you enjoy—such as the physical pleasures of excessive food and drink—usually for health or religious reasons.
When you are acquisitive, you are driven to pursue and own wealth and possessions—often in a greedy fashion.
If your behavior or manner is altruistic, you show you care more about other people and their interests than you care about yourself.
Something austere is simple and plain in its style; an austere person is strict and severe with themself.
If you covet something that someone else has, you have a strong desire to have it for yourself.
Desiderata are a wish list of things that are considered highly desirable or necessary to have.
Someone who is frugal spends very little money—and even then only on things that are absolutely necessary.
Someone who is impecunious has very little money, especially over a long period of time.
An impoverished person or nation is very poor and stricken by poverty.
If someone has an insatiable desire for something, they always want more of it and never feel as though they have enough.
Largess is the generous act of giving money or presents to a large number of people.
A mercenary person is one whose sole interest is earning money.
When you behave with moderation, you live in a balanced and measured way; you do nothing to excess.
A monastic lifestyle is very simple—it is not given to excess in any way; rather, it is a lifestyle of self-denial.
A parsimonious person is not willing to give or spend money.
Penury is the state of being extremely poor.
When you procure something, you obtain or get it in some fashion.
If you describe a person’s behavior as rapacious, you disapprove of them because they always want more money, goods, or possessions than they really need.
If you are ravenous, you are extremely hungry.
If something, such as food or drink, satiates you, it satisfies your need or desire so completely that you often feel that you have had too much.
A spartan lifestyle is very simple and severe; it has no luxuries or comforts.
When someone stints, they are not generous; rather, they withhold support or the providing of something that another person needs.
If you show temperance, you limit yourself so that you don’t do too much of something; you act in a controlled and well-balanced way.
A feeling that is unbridled is enthusiastic and unlimited in its expression.
An unquenchable desire or thirst cannot be satisfied or gotten rid of.
Someone who is venal is dishonest, corrupt, and ready to do anything for money.
A voracious person has a strong desire to want a lot of something, especially food.
Noun
avarice
AV-er-is
Context
The miser was filled with avarice as he greedily counted his numerous gold coins. His avarice knew no bounds—his only goal in life was to be the richest man in the land. His avarice for gold and great wealth soon led him to work with criminal elements, and for this he was thrown in prison. While wanting some money for comfort is not necessarily bad, no good can come from the avaricious pursuit of extreme financial gain.
Quiz:Try again!
If you were known for your avarice, how would others describe you?
Someone who mocked people and treated others with cruelty.
Someone who preferred to live alone with no one to bother them.
Someone with an extreme desire to gather wealth and possessions.
Boy's Rice Hunger Knows no BoundsAvi was greedy for rice, consuming 10 pounds a day in overwhelming avarice for the white grain, while also avariciously collecting one 50-pound bag per day to add to his growing hoard.
Examples
[U.S. District Judge Gorton] believes she is remorseful and that her statement was sincerely made, but he finds it difficult to understand the "avarice" of someone like Loughlin, who enjoyed all the best that life could offer but could still seek to grasp more, illegally.
—
USA Today
The avarice of the old: it's absurd to increase one's luggage as one nears the journey's end.
—
Cicero, Roman statesman and philosopher
The average British wage earner requires nearly four years to collect that and it must dawn on even the thickest footballer that such avarice is eventually going to have an effect on attendances if it continues its rampant path.
—
The Independent
Those who are overcome by avarice have great “desire” or “are eager” for money; consequently, they hoard it.
Word Theater
Nickelodeon Has Sponge Bob Talk about avarice!
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Word Constellation
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Related Words
acquisitive ·
covet ·
desiderata ·
insatiable ·
mercenary+ ·
parsimonious ·
procure+ ·
rapacious ·
ravenous ·
stint+ ·
unbridled ·
unquenchable+ ·
venal ·
voracious ·
abstemious ·
abstinence ·
altruistic ·
austere ·
frugal ·
impecunious ·
impoverished+ ·
largess+ ·
moderation+ ·
monastic+ ·
penury ·
satiate ·
spartan ·
temperance+ ·
Similar sense
Opposite sense
Word Variants
avaricious
adj
→
greedy
The section lists important variants and alternate definitions of the headword. Knowing variants will often help you both remember and understand the word. Not all variants are listed - only the ones we think that are important for you to know.
