rich

rich

rich S2 W2 /rɪtʃ/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative richer, superlative richest)
[Word Family: noun: ↑riches, ↑richness, ↑enrichment, the rich; adjective: ↑rich, ↑enriched; verb: ↑enrich; adverb: ↑richly]
[Language: Old English; Origin: rice]
1. WEALTHY
a) someone who is rich has a lot of money and valuable possessions OPP poor:
one of the richest women in America
She found herself a rich husband.
He thought this was the easiest way to get rich.
the rich nations of the world
fabulously rich British English:
She was both beautiful and fabulously rich.
His brother’s stinking rich (=very rich, in a way that you do not approve of).
b) the rich [plural] people who are rich:
houses belonging to the rich and famous
REGISTER
In written English, people sometimes prefer to use affluent rather than rich, because it sounds more formal:
▪ In affluent societies the definition of poverty is relative.
2. LARGE AMOUNT containing a lot of something
rich in
Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C.
oxygen-rich/nutrient-rich/protein-rich etc
Pregnant women should eat protein-rich foods.
Rich mineral deposits have been found in the sea bed.
Red meat is a rich source of iron.
3. FULL OF INTEREST full of interesting or important facts, events, or ideas:
the rich literary tradition of England
The area has a very rich history.
rich in
a story that was rich in detail
4. FOOD rich food contains a lot of butter, cream, or eggs, which make you feel full very quickly OPP light:
a rich fruit cake
The sauce was very rich.
5. SMELL/FLAVOUR a rich smell or flavour is strong and pleasant:
the rich scent of the pine trees
meat with a wonderfully rich flavour
a rich, fruity wine
6. COLOUR a rich colour is strong and attractive:
a rich dark brown colour
7. SOUND a rich sound is low and pleasant:
the rich tone of a cello
He laughed with a rich, throaty chuckle.
8. SOIL rich soil is good for growing plants in OPP poor:
Vegetables grow well in the rich, black soil.
9. CLOTH rich cloth is expensive and beautiful:
She stroked the rich velvet of the dress enviously.
10. that’s rich (coming from him/you etc) British English spoken used to say that what someone has said is unreasonable and that they are criticizing you for doing something that they do themselves:
He accused me of being dishonest, which was a bit rich coming from him.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ very rich He is a very rich man.
▪ extremely rich He came from an extremely rich Viennese family.
▪ immensely rich (=extremely rich) He was immensely rich and owned two yachts.
▪ fabulously rich (=extremely rich) She must have been fabulously rich to live in a house like this.
▪ seriously rich (=very rich) They stand to become seriously rich if the venture succeeds.
▪ stinking/filthy rich disapproving (=very rich) She was obviously stinking rich.
■ verbs
▪ get rich They just wanted to get rich. | get rich quick schemes
▪ become rich Over the years, he became enormously rich.
▪ grow rich (=become rich) They have grown rich by selling this technology to other companies.
▪ make somebody rich The trade in tea made the British rich.
■ phrases
▪ the new rich disapproving (=people who have recently become rich and spend a lot of money) For Russia's new rich, life is a candy store.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ rich having a lot of money – used about people and places: She married a rich Greek shipowner. | one of the world’s richest nations
▪ wealthy rich – used about people and places, especially when they have been rich for a long time: wealthy landowners | Orange County is a very wealthy area. | a wealthy Arab businessman
▪ affluent formal rich – used about societies, groups of people, or areas where people live, where people have nice houses and a lot of expensive possessions: today’s affluent society | affluent young professionals | an affluent suburb of Boston
▪ prosperous formal rich – used about places and groups of people, especially when their money is related to success in business: Sales have grown fastest in the more prosperous areas of the south. | prosperous merchants and bankers
▪ well-off fairly rich compared to other people, so that you can live very comfortably: Her parents are pretty well-off. | children from well-off families
▪ well-to-do written rich – used especially in the past about families and people who had a fairly high position in society: Only well-to-do families could afford to send their children to university. | The Westons were now well-to-do and there was no necessity for work.
▪ privileged having special advantages because your family have a lot of money and a high position in society: He comes from a privileged background. | The sport was only played by a privileged few.
▪ comfortably off [not before noun] having enough money to have a nice life without having to worry about money: I wouldn’t say that we were rich – just comfortably off.
▪ be rolling in it/be loaded informal to be extremely rich: They’ve got two houses and a boat – they must be rolling in it. | Her books were so successful that she’s loaded now.
■ COLLOCATIONS CHECK
▪ wealthy person/family/area
▪ affluent society/area/family/lifestyle
▪ prosperous area/economy/middle class
▪ well-to-do family
▪ privileged person/background/few/elite