die Habgier
greed
An excessive, ruthless desire to accumulate possessions and wealth; greed.
EXAMPLE
Seine Habgier war so groß, dass er sogar seine eigene Familie betrog.
His greed was so great that he even betrayed his own family.
die Habgier
greed
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word composition
The word is made up of the stem of 'haben' (to have), 'Hab-', and the noun 'Gier' (greed). So it literally describes the greed to have and possess more and more.
EXAMPLE
Die Geschichte warnt vor den Folgen von zu viel Habgier.
The story warns of the consequences of too much greed.
Use with 'aus'
To name the reason for an action, the preposition 'aus' (out of/from) is often used. The phrase 'aus Habgier' (out of greed) means that greed was the motivation for an act.
EXAMPLE
Er hat den wertvollen Schmuck nur aus reiner Habgier gestohlen.
He stole the valuable jewelry purely out of greed.
Register and style
'Habgier' (greed) is a strong, judgmental word. It is often used in formal, literary, or moral contexts to criticize excessive and ruthless desire for possessions.
EXAMPLE
Der Roman thematisiert die zerstörerische Kraft der menschlichen Habgier.
The novel addresses the destructive power of human greed.
Compare with
Habgier vs Gier
greed
Both words can refer to an excessive desire for wealth. „Gier“ is more general and can also be directed at other goals, while „Habgier“ specifically means the ruthless accumulation of possessions and wealth. Use „Habgier“ when the aspect of accumulating possessions and the ruthlessness are important.
Habgier
Aus Habgier häufte der Unternehmer immer mehr Besitz auf Kosten anderer an.
Driven by greed, the businessman accumulated more and more wealth at the expense of others.
Gier
Seine Gier nach Reichtum machte ihn blind für die Folgen seiner Entscheidungen.
His greed for wealth blinded him to the consequences of his decisions.
In real life
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