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richness - 3 dictionary results

rich

  [rich] adjective, -er, -est, noun
Use richness in a Sentence
–adjective
1. having wealth or great possessions; abundantly supplied with resources, means, or funds; wealthy: a rich man; a rich nation.
2. abounding in natural resources: a rich territory.
3. having wealth or valuable resources (usually fol. by in): a country rich in traditions.
4. abounding (usually fol. by in or with): a countryside rich in beauty; a design rich with colors.
5. of great value or worth; valuable: a rich harvest.
6. (of food) delectably and perhaps unhealthfully spicy, or sweet and abounding in butter or cream: a rich gravy; a rich pastry.
7. costly, expensively elegant, or fine, as dress or jewels.
8. sumptuous; elaborately abundant: a rich feast.
9. using valuable materials or characterized by elaborate workmanship, as buildings or furniture.
10. abounding in desirable elements or qualities: a man rich in kindness.
11. (of wine) strong and finely flavored.
12. (of color) deep, strong, or vivid: rich purple.
13. full and mellow in tone: rich sounds; a rich voice.
14. strongly fragrant; pungent: a rich odor.
15. producing or yielding abundantly: a rich soil.
16. abundant, plentiful, or ample: a rich supply.
17. Automotive. (of a mixture in a fuel system) having a relatively high ratio of fuel to air (contrasted with lean ).
18. Informal.
a. highly amusing.
b. ridiculous; absurd.
–noun
19. (used with a plural verb) rich persons collectively (usually prec. by the): new tax shelters for the rich.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE rīce (adj.) ≪ Celtic; c. G reich wealthy; akin to L rēx, Skt rājan king

Related forms:
richly, adverb
richness, noun

Synonyms:
1. well-to-do, moneyed. Rich, wealthy, affluent all indicate abundance of possessions. Rich is the general word; it may imply that possessions are newly acquired: an oilman who became rich overnight. Wealthy suggests permanence, stability, and appropriate surroundings: a wealthy banker. Affluent usually suggests a generous amount of income, with a high standard of living and some social prestige and privilege: an affluent family. 5. bountiful, copious, luxuriant. 7. precious, high-priced, dear. 12. intense, vibrant. 14. aromatic. 15. fruitful, productive, prolific, luxuriant. 16. bountiful, copious, abounding, bounteous.

Antonyms:
1–5, 15, 16. poor.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To richness
rich   (rĭch)   
adj.   rich·er, rich·est
  1. Possessing great material wealth: "Now that he was rich he was not thought ignorant any more, but simply eccentric" (Mavis Gallant).
  2. Having great worth or value: a rich harvest of grain.
  3. Magnificent; sumptuous: a rich brocade.
    1. Having an abundant supply: rich in ideas.
    2. Abounding, especially in natural resources: rich land.
    3. Containing a large amount of choice ingredients, such as butter, sugar, or eggs, and therefore unusually heavy or sweet: a rich dessert.
    4. Having or exuding a strong or pungent aroma: "Texas air is so rich you can nourish off it like it was food" (Edna Ferber).
    5. Pleasantly full and mellow: a rich tenor voice.
    6. Warm and strong in color: a rich brown velvet.
  5. Meaningful and significant: "a rich sense of the transaction between writer and reader" (William Zinsser).
  6. Very productive and therefore financially profitable: rich seams of coal.
    1. Containing a large amount of choice ingredients, such as butter, sugar, or eggs, and therefore unusually heavy or sweet: a rich dessert.
    2. Having or exuding a strong or pungent aroma: "Texas air is so rich you can nourish off it like it was food" (Edna Ferber).
    3. Pleasantly full and mellow: a rich tenor voice.
    4. Warm and strong in color: a rich brown velvet.
    1. Pleasantly full and mellow: a rich tenor voice.
    2. Warm and strong in color: a rich brown velvet.
  9. Containing a large proportion of fuel to air: a rich gas mixture.
  10. Informal Highly amusing.
n.   (used with a pl. verb)
Wealthy people considered as a group. Often used with the: "Were there, indeed, a sure appeal to the mercies of the rich, the calamities of the poor might be less intolerable" (Charlotte Smith).

[Middle English riche, from Old French (of Germanic origin) and from Old English rīce, strong, powerful; see reg- in Indo-European roots.]
rich'ly adv., rich'ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean having an abundant supply of money, property, or possessions of value: a rich executive; an affluent banker; a speculator flush with cash; not merely rich but loaded; moneyed heirs; wealthy corporations.
Antonym: poor
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Richness

Rich"ness\, n. The quality or state of being rich (in any sense of the adjective).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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