(~er, ~est, ~es)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ person has a lot of money or valuable possessions.
Their one aim in life is to get ~...
? poor
ADJ
•
The ~ are ~ people.
This is a system in which the ~ are cared for and the poor are left to suffer...
N-PLURAL: the N
2.
Riches are valuable possessions or large amounts of money.
An Olympic gold medal can lead to untold ~es for an athlete...
N-PLURAL
3.
A ~ 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 ~ countries.
? poor
ADJ
4.
If you talk about the earth’s ~es, 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 ~es.
N-PLURAL: usu supp N
5.
If something is ~ in a useful or valuable substance or is a ~ source of it, it contains a lot of it.
Liver and kidney are particularly ~ in vitamin A...
ADJ: v-link ADJ in n, ADJ n
6.
Rich food contains a lot of fat or oil.
Additional cream would make it too ~.
ADJ
~ness
The coffee flavour complemented the ~ness of the pudding.
N-UNCOUNT
7.
Rich soil contains large amounts of substances that make it good for growing crops or flowers in.
Farmers grow rice in the ~ soil.
? poor
ADJ
8.
A ~ deposit of a mineral or other substance is a large amount of it.
...the country’s ~ deposits of the metal, lithium.
ADJ
~ness
...the ~ness of Tibet’s mineral deposits.
N-UNCOUNT
9.
If you say that something is a ~ 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 ~ vein of sentimentality...
ADJ: ADJ n
10.
Rich smells are strong and very pleasant. Rich colours and sounds are deep and very pleasant.
...a ~ and luxuriously perfumed bath essence.
ADJ
~ness
...the ~ness of colour in Gauguin’s paintings.
N-UNCOUNT
11.
A ~ life or history is one that is interesting because it is full of different events and activities.
A ~ and varied cultural life is essential for this couple.
ADJ
~ness
It all adds to the ~ness of human life.
N-UNCOUNT
12.
A ~ collection or mixture contains a wide and interesting variety of different things.
Visitors can view a ~ and colorful array of aquatic plants and animals...
ADJ
~ness
...a huge country, containing a ~ness of culture and diversity of landscape.
N-UNCOUNT
13.
If you say that something a person says or does is ~, 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 ~, coming from him, the professional sneak.
ADJ: v-link ADJ feelings
14.
If you say that someone is filthy ~ or stinking ~, you disapprove of them because they have a lot of money. (INFORMAL)
He’s stinking ~, and with no more talent than he ever had before.
= loaded
PHRASE: v-link PHR, PHR n disapproval