Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
rich
rich [rich richer richest] [rɪtʃ] [rɪtʃ] adjective (rich·er, rich·est)
WITH A LOT OF MONEY
1. having a lot of money or property
• one of the richest women in the world
• Nobody gets rich from writing nowadays.
• (slang) to be filthy/stinking (= extremely) rich
Opp: poor
2. the rich noun plural people who have a lot of money or property
• It's a favourite resort for the rich and famous.
Opp: poor
3. (of a country) producing a lot of wealth so that many of its people can live at a high standard
• the richest countries/economies/nations
Opp: poor
FULL OF VARIETY
4. very interesting and full of variety
• the region's rich history and culture
• She leads a rich and varied life.
CONTAINING/PROVIDING STH
5. ~ (in sth) (often in compounds) containing or providing a large supply of sth
• Oranges are rich in vitamin C.
• The area is rich in wildlife.
• His novels are a rich source of material for the movie industry.
• iron-rich rocks
Opp: poor
FOOD
6. containing a lot of fat, butter, eggs, etc. and making you feel full quickly
• a rich creamy sauce
• a rich chocolate cake
SOIL
7. containing the substances that make it good for growing plants in
Syn: fertile
• a rich well-drained soil
Opp: poor
COLOURS/SOUNDS
8. (of colours, sounds, smells and tastes) strong or deep; very beautiful or pleasing
• rich dark reds
EXPENSIVE
9. (literary) expensive and beautiful
Syn: sumptuous
• The rooms were decorated with rich fabrics.
CRITICISM
10. (informal, especially BrE) used to say that a criticism sb makes is surprising and not reasonable, because they have the same fault
• Me? Lazy? That's rich, coming from you!
compare richness
see strike it rich at strike v.
Word Origin:
Old English rīce ‘powerful, wealthy’, of Germanic origin, related to Dutch rijk and German reich; ultimately from Celtic; reinforced in Middle English by Old French riche ‘rich, powerful’.
Thesaurus:
rich adj.
• She is one of the richest women in the world.
wealthy • • well off • • prosperous • • affluent • • comfortable • |informal loaded • |sometimes disapproving privileged •
Opp: poor
a/an rich/wealthy/well off/prosperous/affluent/privileged family
a/an rich/wealthy/well off/prosperous man/woman
a/an rich/wealthy/prosperous/affluent country/city/suburb
Rich or wealthy? RIch is more frequent than wealthy and can be used in some fixed phrases where wealthy cannot:
• a resort for the rich and famous
¤ a resort for the wealthy and famous
Synonyms:
rich
wealthy • prosperous • affluent • well off • comfortable
These words all describe sb/sth that has a lot of money, property or valuable possessions.
rich • (of a person) having a lot of money, property or valuable possessions; (of a country or city) producing a lot of wealth so that many of its people can live at a high standard
wealthy • rich
rich or wealthy?
There is no real difference in meaning between these two words. Both are very frequent, but rich is more frequent and can be used in some fixed phrases where wealthy cannot: He's stinking/filthy wealthy. ◊ It's a favourite resort for the wealthy and famous.
prosperous • (rather formal) rich and successful.
affluent • (rather formal) rich and with a good standard of living: ▪ affluent Western countries
prosperous or affluent?
Both prosperous and affluent are used to talk about people and places. Prosperous is used much more than affluent to talk about times and periods. Affluent is often used to contrast rich people or societies with poor ones. Being prosperous is nearly always seen as a good thing: ▪ It's good to see you looking so prosperous. ◊ It's good to see you looking so affluent.
well off • (often used in negative sentences) rich: ▪ His family is not very well off.
The opposite of well off is badly off, but this is not very frequent; it is more common to say that sb is not well off.
comfortable • having enough money to buy what you want without worrying about the cost: ▪ They're not millionaires, but they're certainly very comfortable.
a(n) rich/wealthy/prosperous/affluent/well-off family
a(n) rich/wealthy/prosperous/well-off man/woman
a(n) rich/wealthy/prosperous/affluent country/city
Example Bank:
• It was mean of her only to give £1— she's filthy rich, you know.
• Me? Lazy? That's a bit rich coming from you.
• The sun-dried tomatoes give the dish a wonderfully rich flavour.
• The wine gives the dish a wonderfully rich aroma.
• This discovery never made her rich.
• a culturally rich nation
• a newly rich businessman
• people who want to get rich quickly
• the exceptionally rich fishing grounds of the North Pacific
• Doughty's genius made him fabulously rich but he never changed his style of life.
• He's stinking/filthy rich.
• Her rich contralto voice filled the concert hall.
• Rich countries can afford to spend more on the environment.
• She's one of the richest women in the world.
• The colour of the flower is a rich deep red.
• The system still favours the economies of richer nations.
• Very few people get rich from writing nowadays.
• rich farming land
• the rich sound of the organ
• the rich tones of autumn
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
rich
rich (CRITICISM) /rɪtʃ/
adjective [after verb]
used to describe someone's opinions when that person has the same bad qualities that they are criticizing:
The education minister's criticism of the new exam system seems rich, considering it was he who demanded the changes in the first place.
"He said I was looking rather fat." "That's a bit rich coming from him."
rich (COLOUR/SOUND) /rɪtʃ/
adjective
A rich colour, sound, smell or taste is strong in a pleasing or attractive way:
This lipstick gives long-lasting rich colour.
She produced a rich, deep tone from her clarinet.
The wine has a rich aromatic flavour.
richness /ˈrɪtʃ.nəs/
noun [U]
richness of flavour
It's a wonderful painting - I love the richness of the colours.
See also richness at rich (MONEY), rich (FOOD).
rich (FOOD) /rɪtʃ/
adjective
If food is rich, it contains a large amount of oil, butter, eggs or cream:
This chocolate mousse is too rich for me.
See also richness at rich (MONEY); rich (COLOUR/SOUND).
richness /ˈrɪtʃ.nəs/
noun [U]
The richness of the food made him feel slightly ill.
rich (MONEY) /rɪtʃ/
adjective
1 having a lot of money or valuable possessions:
He's the third richest man in Britain.
They're one of the world's richest nations.
He is determined to get rich quickly.
2 containing a large amount of a valuable natural substance such as coal, oil or wood:
The region is rich in minerals and coal deposits.
The country has vast oil reserves and rich deposits of other minerals.
3 Rich land or soil contains a large amount of substances which help plants to grow:
the richest arable land in the country
4 A rich material is very beautiful and valuable:
She wore a velvet skirt and a rich brocade jacket.
5 If the style of something such as a piece of furniture or a building is rich, it contains a lot of decoration:
The temple is noted for its rich carvings.
6 rich in sth containing a lot of something desirable:
Pineapple juice is rich in vitamins A and B.
The English language is rich in vocabulary.
7 containing a lot of exciting events or experiences and therefore very interesting:
He has written a book about the island's rich history.
She had a rich and varied life and met many famous and exciting people.
-rich/-rɪtʃ/
suffix
containing a large amount of a valuable substance:
milk and other calcium-rich food
an oil-rich country
the rich plural noun
rich people considered together as a group:
The resort is frequented by the rich and famous.
riches /ˈrɪtʃ.ɪz/
plural noun
1 a large amount of money or valuable possessions:
She donated a sizeable portion of her riches to children's charities.
2 a large quantity of a valuable natural substance:
The country has great oil/mineral riches.
They plundered the rainforest for its natural riches.
richly /ˈrɪtʃ.li/
adverb
1 richly decorated/furnished, etc. having a lot of beautiful or expensive decoration, furniture, etc:
The facade of the church is richly decorated in green and white marble.
2 in a very special or valuable way, or in a way that is greater than usual:
The cake takes two hours to cook, but your patience will be richly rewarded.
She finally obtained the recognition which she so richly deserved.
richness /ˈrɪtʃ.nəs/
noun [U]
when something has a lot of a particular quality or valuable substance:
We were impressed by the great richness of detail in her painting.
See also richness at rich (FOOD), rich (COLOUR/SOUND).
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
rich
[rɪ̱tʃ]
richer, richest, riches
1) ADJ-GRADED A rich person has a lot of money or valuable possessions.
You're going to be a very rich man...
Their one aim in life is to get rich...
With nothing but his own talent, he made himself rich and famous.
Ant:
poor
N-PLURAL: the N
The rich are rich people. This is a system in which the rich are cared for and the poor are left to suffer... Only the very rich have really benefited. ...a gossip page featuring the rich and famous.
2) N-PLURAL Riches are valuable possessions or large amounts of money.
An Olympic gold medal can lead to untold riches for an athlete...
Some people want fame or riches - I just wanted a baby.
3) ADJ-GRADED A rich country has a strong economy and produces a lot of wealth, so many people who live there have a high standard of living.
There is hunger in many parts of the world, even in rich countries.
Ant:
poor
4) N-PLURAL: usu supp N If you talk about the earth's riches, you are referring to things that exist naturally in large quantities and that are useful and valuable, for example minerals, wood, and oil.
...Russia's vast natural riches.
...the oil riches of the Middle East.
5) ADJ-GRADED: v-link ADJ in n, ADJ n If something is rich in a useful or valuable substance or is a rich source of it, it contains a lot of it.
Liver and kidney are particularly rich in vitamin A...
Fish is a rich source of protein.
6) ADJ-GRADED Rich food contains a lot of fat or oil.
...the hearty, rich foods of Gascony...
Additional cream would make it too rich.
Derived words:
richness N-UNCOUNT The coffee flavour complemented the richness of the pudding.
7) ADJ-GRADED Rich soil contains large amounts of substances that make it good for growing crops or flowers in.
Farmers grow rice in the rich soil.
Ant:
poor
8) ADJ-GRADED A rich deposit of a mineral or other substance is a large amount of it.
...the country's rich deposits of the metal, lithium.
Derived words:
richness N-UNCOUNT ...the richness of Tibet's mineral deposits.
9) ADJ-GRADED: ADJ n If you say that something is a rich vein or source of something such as humour, ideas, or information, you mean that it can provide a lot of that thing.
The director discovered a rich vein of sentimentality...
My collection of Victorian literature turned out to be a rich and often hilarious source of information.
10) ADJ-GRADED Rich smells are strong and very pleasant. Rich colours and sounds are deep and very pleasant.
...a rich and luxuriously perfumed bath essence.
...an attractive, glossy rich red colour.
Derived words:
richness N-UNCOUNT ...the richness of colour in Gauguin's paintings.
11) ADJ-GRADED A rich life or history is one that is interesting because it is full of different events and activities.
A rich and varied cultural life is essential for this couple.
...the rich history of the island...
Manchester has a rich cultural, economic and sporting heritage.
Derived words:
richness N-UNCOUNT It all adds to the richness of human life.
12) ADJ-GRADED A rich collection or mixture contains a wide and interesting variety of different things.
Visitors can view a rich and colorful array of aquatic plants and animals...
Australia has a rich cultural mix.
...a rich vocabulary.
Derived words:
richness N-UNCOUNT ...a huge country, containing a richness of culture and diversity of landscape.
13) ADJ-GRADED: v-link ADJ (feelings) If you say that something a person says or does is rich, you are making fun of it because you think it is a surprising and inappropriate thing for them to say or do. [INFORMAL]
Gil says that women can't keep secrets. That's rich, coming from him, the professional sneak.
Syn:
ironic
14) PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR n (disapproval) If you say that someone is filthy rich or stinking rich, you disapprove of them because they have a lot of money. [INFORMAL]
He's stinking rich, and with no more talent than he ever had before.
...a handful of filthy rich young men who work eight months a year.
Syn:
loaded
[-rɪtʃ]
COMB in ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n
-rich combines with the names of useful or valuable substances to form adjectives that describe something as containing a lot of a particular substance.
...Angola's northern oil-rich coastline...
It would be wise to include plenty of mineral rich foods in your diet.