different between avariciously vs avaricious

English

Etymology

avaricious +? -ly

Adverb

avariciously (comparative more avariciously, superlative most avariciously)

1. In a greedy or self-serving manner.

   Synonym: greedily

   • 1659, John Milton, Considerations Touching the Likeliest Means to Remove Hirelings Out of the Church, London: L. Chapman, p. 152,^[1]

     Thus much I had to say; and, I suppose, what may be anough to them who are not avariciously bent otherwise, touching the likeliest means to remove hirelings out of the church;

   • 1775, Samuel Jackson Pratt, Liberal Opinions, London: G. Robinson and J. Bew, Volume 2, Chapter 41, p. 57,^[2]

     […] business, which was originally designed to promote health, and circulate interchanged conveniencies, is now for the most part avariciously carried on, to swell the coffers of the individual by impoverishing the species;

   • 1876, Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hartford, CT: The American Publishing Company, Chapter 12, p. 109,^[3]

     […] his aunt’s yellow cat came along, purring, eyeing the teaspoon avariciously, and begging for a taste [of the medicine].

   • 1954, Iris Murdoch, Under the Net, London: The Reprint Society, 1955, Chapter 15, p. 203,^[4]

     At first I kept thinking about the money. […] I invested it avariciously at high rates of interest.

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• avaritious (obsolete)
• avaricius (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English avaricious, from Old French avaricieux, from avarice, from Latin avaritia (“greed”), from avarus (“greedy”), of avere (“crave, long for”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?æv??????s/

Adjective

avaricious (comparative more avaricious, superlative most avaricious)

1. Actuated by avarice; extremely greedy for wealth or material gain; immoderately desirous of accumulating property.
   • 1835, Robert Montgomery Bird, The Hawks of Hawk-Hollow

     In a word, he was called a hard, avaricious, rapacious man, whose chief business was to enrich himself...

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:greedy

Derived terms

• avariciously
• avariciousness

Related terms

• avarice

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “avaricious”, in Online Etymology Dictionary