How to say "greedy" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 貪欲どんよくna-adjective, nounThe common general word for greed, covering avarice and covetousness — intense desire for money, possessions, or success. If you just need to say someone is greedy, this is usually the safest choice.
- 強欲ごうよくna-adjective, nounEmphasizes greed that is rapacious and insatiable: someone who is never satisfied no matter how much they get. Stronger and more disapproving in tone than 貪欲.
- na-adjective, nounGreed of the ruthless, exploitative kind — treating people cruelly to squeeze out profit, as in shady business dealings. Strongly disapproving; normally written in kana alone.
- 欲深いよくぶかいi-adjectiveDescribes a greedy character — someone whose desire for money and possessions runs deep, so they always want more. A natural choice for saying a person is greedy by nature.
- i-adjectiveColloquial: greed of the grasping, grab-everything kind, often with a tightfisted streak — taking all one can and holding on to it. Also used of predatory business conduct.
貪欲 is the common general word; 強欲 stresses insatiable, rapacious greed; 「あこぎ」 implies ruthless exploitation; 「欲深い」 describes a greedy character; 「がめつい」 is colloquial for grasping, tightfisted greed.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
