Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: rice

rich

 adjective
     
NEW! See related topics: COLOURS AND SOUNDSCOLOURSODOURS
rich S2 W2 comparative richer, superlative richest
1

wealthy

a) someone who is rich has a lot of money and valuable possessions [≠ 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
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 [≠ light]:
a rich fruit cake
The sauce was very rich.
5

smell/flavour

CO 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

CC a rich colour is strong and attractive:
a rich dark brown colour
7

sound

C a rich sound is low and pleasant:
the rich tone of a cello
He laughed with a rich, throaty chuckle.
8

soil

TAS rich soil is good for growing plants in [≠ 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.
WORD CHOICE: WORD CHOICE:

rich, well-off, wealthy, affluent, prosperousRich is a very direct way of saying that someone has a lot of money and possessions • one of the richest women in America Well-off means fairly rich, so you can buy most things. People are more likely to describe themselves as 'well-off' than 'rich' • My parents were pretty well-off.Wealthy is a slightly more formal word meaning rich, especially over a long period of time • He came from a wealthy family.Affluent and prosperous are fairly formal words, often used to describe societies where the economy is successful and the standard of living is good.Affluent means rich enough to have things like expensive cars and holidays • People are becoming increasingly affluent.Prosperous means rich and successful • the more prosperous regions of the countryWORD FOCUS: colour WORD FOCUS: colour
a particular kind of colour: shade, hint, hue
words for describing dark colours: dark, deep, rich
words for describing light colours: light, pale, soft, pastel
words for describing bright colours: bright, brilliant, vivid, garish disapproving, gaudy disapproving
having a lot of colours: colourful, multicoloured British English/multicolored American English

➔ See also colour
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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