Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “greed” come from?

greed (English) comes from English greedy, from English -ly, from English grisly, from Middle English grisely, from Old English grisliċ, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic *-līk.

greed (English): A selfish or excessive desire for more than is...

Definitions

  1. A selfish or excessive desire for more than is...

Ancestry of “greed”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgreedyHaving greed; consumed by selfish desires; Prone...
2English-lyUsed to form adjectives from nouns, the...
3EnglishgrislyHorrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;...
4Middle Englishgrisely—
5Old Englishgrisliċgrisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid
6Old English-līċsuffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning...
7Proto-Germanic*-līk—

Words derived from “greed”

  • greedlessness
  • greedless
  • greedhead
  • greedmeister
  • greedoid
  • antigreed
  • greedfest
  • greedsome
Every word from Proto-Germanic *-līk →