Rich — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈrich/

Meaning & Definition of Rich

Rich (adjective)

  1. having abundant possessions and especially material wealth
  2. having high value or quality
  3. well supplied or endowed

Rich (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having goods, property, or money in abundance

    "you would have to be quite rich to be able to afford a home in that neighborhood"

    similar: affluent, deep-pocketed, fat, fat-cat, flush, loaded, moneyed, opulent, silk-stocking, wealthy, well-endowed, well-fixed, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do, in the chips
    related: better-off, comfortable, propertied, prosperous, substantial, successful, flourishing, prospering, thriving, advantaged, blessed, privileged
    opposite: destitute, impecunious, impoverished, indigent, needy, penniless, penurious, poor, poverty-stricken
    near: unaffluent, deprived, disadvantaged, hand-to-mouth, underprivileged, bankrupt, bankrupted, beggared, broke, indebted, insolvent, pauperized, ruined, skint (chiefly British), depressed, pinched, reduced, straitened, low, short

  2. containing much seasoning, fat, or sugar

    "stay away from rich foods before you sing tonight"

    similar: heavy
    related: buttery, fat, fatty, greasy, oily, caloric, calorific, fattening, cloying, oversweet, filling, overfilling, satiating, sating, spicy, sugary, sweet, creamy, sauced
    opposite: light, lite
    near: natural, plain, simple, unseasoned, diet, nonfattening, slimming, nonfat

  3. having an abundance of some characteristic quality (as flavor)

    "rich wines complemented the meal"

    similar: big, concentrated, full, full-bodied, heady, lusty, muscular, plush, potent, robust, strong
    related: heavy, straight, undiluted, unmixed, high-octane, high-test, enriched, fortified
    opposite: delicate, light, mild, thin, thinned, weak, weakened
    near: dilute, diluted, watered-down, watery

  4. producing abundantly

    "rich farmland"

    similar: cornucopian, fat, fecund, fertile, fructuous, fruitful, lush, luxuriant, productive, prolific
    related: bearing, generative, producing, yielding, abounding, abundant, bountiful, copious, generous, liberal, plenteous, plentiful, plenitudinous, blooming, bursting, flourishing, swarming, teeming, thriving, creative, inventive, original
    opposite: barren, dead, infertile, sterile, unfertile, unfruitful, unproductive
    near: meager, scant, scanty, skimp, skimpy, spare, sparse

Related Entry: Strike (verb)

Strike is a different word from Rich. The synonyms below are for strike, not for rich.

  1. to refuse to work in order to force an employer to meet demands

    "the union is calling for its members to strike until the mining company agrees to meet safety standards"

    similar: walk, walk out
    related: sit in, lock out

  2. to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response

    "we were struck by the willingness of total strangers to go out of their way to help us"

    similar: affect, impact, impress, influence, move, reach, sway, tell (on), touch, get to
    related: carry away, dazzle, enrapture, entrance, enthrall, ravish, transport, bias, color, inspire, stir, engage, interest, involve, penetrate, pierce, afflict, agitate, bother, concern, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, distress, disturb, fluster, harass, harry, perturb, pester, plague, smite, strain, stress, trouble, try, upset, worry, wring, allure, attract, bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, fascinate
    near: bore, jade, pall, tire, weary, underwhelm

  3. to enter the mind of

    "it struck her later that no one at the bank had asked for identification"

    similar: come (to), cross, dawn (on), occur (to)
    related: recall, recollect, remember, reminisce, con, learn, memorize, appear, arrive, emerge, materialize
    near: forget, unlearn, disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook

  4. to come into usually forceful contact with something

    "the thump of hailstones striking the cars in the parking lot"

    similar: bang, bash, bump, collide, crash, hit, impact, impinge, knock, ram, slam, smash, swipe, thud
    related: bounce, carom, clunk, glance, rebound, ricochet, skim, skip, contact, land, touch, brush, graze, kiss, nudge, scrape, shave, sweep, bulldoze, jostle, muscle, press, push
    near: miss, skirt

  5. to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner

    "the driver of the car behind me applied his brakes too late and struck my car from the rear"

    similar: bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, hit, knock, nail, paste, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, zap, hang one on
    related: batter, beat, buffet, bung, chop, cuff, drub, lace, lambaste, lick, mangle, maul, pelt, pepper, pommel, pummel, rough, scuff, bunt, flick, stroke, tap, bump, butt, jab, jostle, kick, knee, poke, prod, push, shove, stamp, bowl (down or over), cream, deck, dump (slang), fell, floor, knock down, level, rabbit-punch, sucker punch, cane, club, cudgel, flail, flog, lash, sap, slash, sledge, sledgehammer, spear, stab, switch, thrash, whip, bean, brain, conk, skull

  6. to take apart

    "the stagehands struck the sets the morning after the play closed"

    similar: break down, demount, disassemble, dismantle, dismember, dismount, knock down, take down
    related: detach, disengage, break up, disaggregate, disarticulate, disconnect, disjoin, disjoint, dissever, disunite, divide, separate
    opposite: assemble, construct
    near: build, erect, pitch, combine, unite

  7. to take sudden, violent action against

    "a rattlesnake strikes its prey with lightning speed"

    similar: assail, assault, attack, beset, bushwhack, charge, descend (on or upon), go in (on), jump (on), pounce (on or upon), raid, rush, set on, sic, storm, trash, turn (on), beat up on, fly at, go at, light into, pitch into, round on, set at, set upon, tear into
    related: bum-rush, gang up (on), mob, swarm, mug, rob, ambuscade, ambush, surprise, waylay, blitz, bomb, bombard, nuke, barrage, cannon, cannonade, bang away (at), batter, buffet, plaster, beleaguer, besiege, press, harry, loot, pillage, plunder, ravage, sack, foray, invade, overrun, envelop, flank
    near: cover, defend, guard, protect, secure, shield

  8. to cast a spell on

    "the only way that she's going to get a man is if she strikes one"

    similar: bewitch, charm, enchant, ensorcell, hex, overlook, spell
    related: curse, jinx, possess, voodoo, attract, beguile, captivate, fascinate, mesmerize, spellbind, entice, lure, seduce, tempt
    near: bless

Related Entry: Strike (into) (verb)

Strike (into) is a different word from Rich. The synonyms below are for strike (into), not for rich.

  1. to take the first step in (a process or course of action)

    "before you actually strike into your speech, you should introduce yourself"

    similar: begin, commence, embark (on or upon), enter (into or upon), fall (to), get off, kick off, launch, lead off, open, start, get going, get to, set about
    related: create, generate, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, invent, originate, adopt, embrace, take on, take up, establish, father, found, institute, organize, pioneer, set up, spawn, get around (to), get down (to), get round (to)
    opposite: conclude, end, finish, terminate
    near: cease, desist, discontinue, halt, knock off, lay off, quit, stop, close, complete, abandon, forsake, leave, abolish, demolish, destroy, exterminate, extinguish, phase out

Related Entry: Strike (out) (verb)

Strike (out) is a different word from Rich. The synonyms below are for strike (out), not for rich.

  1. to show (something written) to be no longer valid by drawing a cross over or a line through it

    "struck out all references to indecent matters"

    similar: blue-pencil, cancel, cross (out), dele, delete, edit (out), elide, kill, scratch (out), stroke (out), x (out)
    related: blot out, efface, eradicate, erase, expunge, obliterate, root (out), rub out, wipe out, bleep, blip, clip, cut, excise, remove, bowdlerize, censor, clean (up), expurgate, launder, redact, red-pencil, abbreviate, crop, shorten, black out, repress, silence, suppress

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Rich

The most common words with a similar meaning to Rich:

affluent, deep-pocketed, fat, fat-cat, flush, loaded, moneyed, opulent, silk-stocking, wealthy, well-endowed, well-fixed, well-heeled, well-off, well-to-do, heavy, big, concentrated, full, full-bodied, heady, lusty, muscular, plush, potent, robust, strong, cornucopian, fecund, fertile, fructuous, fruitful, lush, luxuriant, productive, prolific, in the chips

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Rich

Words with the opposite meaning of Rich:

destitute, impecunious, impoverished, indigent, needy, penniless, penurious, poor, poverty-stricken, light, lite, delicate, mild, thin, thinned, weak, weakened, barren, dead, infertile, sterile, unfertile, unfruitful, unproductive

Related Words for Rich

better-off, comfortable, propertied, prosperous, substantial, successful, flourishing, prospering, thriving, advantaged, blessed, privileged, buttery, fatty, greasy, oily, caloric, calorific, fattening, cloying, oversweet, filling, overfilling, satiating, sating, spicy, sugary, sweet, creamy, sauced

Near Antonyms of Rich

unaffluent, deprived, disadvantaged, hand-to-mouth, underprivileged, bankrupt, bankrupted, beggared, broke, indebted, insolvent, pauperized, ruined, skint, depressed, pinched, reduced, straitened, low, short, natural, plain, simple, unseasoned, diet, nonfattening, slimming, nonfat, dilute, diluted

Word Forms of Rich

Derived words: richness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Rich

Middle English riche, from Old English rīce; akin to Old High German rīhhi rich, Old English rīce kingdom, Old High German rīhhi, noun; all from prehistoric Germanic words borrowed from Celtic words akin to Old Irish rí (genitive ríg) king royal

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Rich

Words & Phrases Containing Rich

strike it rich, get rich quick, idle rich, the rich

Frequently Asked Questions about Rich

What does "Rich" mean?

"Rich" means having abundant possessions and especially material wealth. As an adjective, it is defined as: having abundant possessions and especially material wealth. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Rich"?

Other words for "Rich" include affluent, deep-pocketed, fat, fat-cat, flush, loaded, moneyed and opulent. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Rich" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Rich"?

There are 94 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Rich". Common alternatives include affluent, deep-pocketed, fat, fat-cat, flush, loaded, moneyed, opulent, silk-stocking and wealthy.

What is the opposite of "Rich"?

Antonyms of "Rich" include destitute, impecunious, impoverished, indigent, needy, penniless, penurious and poor. Near antonyms include unaffluent, deprived, disadvantaged and hand-to-mouth.

How do you use "Rich" in a sentence?

Examples of "Rich" in a sentence: "you would have to be quite rich to be able to afford a home in that neighborhood"; "stay away from rich foods before you sing tonight"; "rich wines complemented the meal".

Is "Rich" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Rich" is an adjective.

Is "Rich" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Rich" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Rich"?

"Rich" is pronounced /ˈrich/.