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貪欲 (どんよく, donyoku) Japanese meaning: greedy | Kotomora
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込こ
ん
だ
。
He greedily amassed money.
That politician is greedy for power.
Usage patterns 〈 事こと 〉 に 貪どん 欲よく だ to be greedy/hungry for something (knowledge, success, etc.)
He is a student who is hungry for knowledge.
貪どん 欲よく に 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 to do something greedily/relentlessly
She is greedily absorbing new information.
Kanji 欲 longing, covetousness, greed 慾 covetousness, greed, passion Related words· 8 強欲 emphasizes ruthless, predatory greed for money or power, while 貪欲 can also describe intense but not necessarily malicious desire, even for knowledge or achievement.
欲張り is a casual, everyday word for a greedy person or grabby behavior, whereas 貪欲 is more formal and describes a deep, intense avarice.
貪欲 describes an insatiable, often excessive desire (e.g. for money or power), while ハングリー is more neutral, describing a healthy drive to succeed.
貪欲 is a more neutral or even positive word for greedy/ambitious, while 卑しい carries strong moral contempt for the same trait.
Show 4 more 貪欲 is a more formal, literary word for insatiable greed, while 欲張る is the everyday verb for wanting too much.
貪欲 stresses an insatiable, almost predatory hunger (for knowledge, power, food, etc.), while 欲深い focuses on greed for material gain or possessions.
貪欲 describes insatiable, extreme greed and is more formal/literary, while 欲 is the general, milder word for desire or craving.
Etymology A Sino-Japanese compound corresponding to Chinese 貪欲, from 貪 “covet” and 欲 “desire.” The Buddhist reading とんよく also remains in use.
貪欲 describes an insatiable, almost animalistic hunger for something (food, knowledge, power), while 欲深 is broader and focuses on greed for material gain.
out-dated reading
貪慾 Usage 3% i Usage for this spelling across all readings, not one reading alone.
rarely-used kanji form