Having an intense and selfish desire for wealth, power, or food; excessively acquisitive.
From Old English 'grǣdig' meaning voracious or hungry, related to Old Norse 'graðugr.' The moral sense of excessive desire developed alongside the physical sense of hunger throughout Middle English.
Greedy encapsulates one of humanity's most complex moral concepts - the point where healthy appetite becomes destructive excess. It's fascinating how this word applies equally to a child grabbing too many cookies and corporations hoarding resources, showing how the same behavioral pattern scales from personal to societal levels.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.