Overrich

[rich] /rɪtʃ/

adjective, richer, richest.
1.
having wealth or great possessions; abundantly supplied with resources, means, or funds; wealthy:
a rich man; a rich nation.
2.
abounding in natural resources:
a rich territory.
3.
having wealth or valuable resources (usually followed by in):
a country rich in traditions.
4.
abounding (usually followed by in or with):
a countryside rich in beauty; a design rich with colors.
5.
of great value or worth; valuable:
a rich harvest.
6.
(of food) delectably and perhaps unhealthfully spicy, or sweet and abounding in butter or cream:
a rich gravy; a rich pastry.
7.
costly, expensively elegant, or fine, as dress or jewels.
8.
sumptuous; elaborately abundant:
a rich feast.
9.
using valuable materials or characterized by elaborate workmanship, as buildings or furniture.
10.
abounding in desirable elements or qualities:
a man rich in kindness.
11.
(of wine) strong and finely flavored.
12.
(of color) deep, strong, or vivid:
rich purple.
13.
full and mellow in tone:
rich sounds; a rich voice.
14.
strongly fragrant; pungent:
a rich odor.
15.
producing or yielding abundantly:
a rich soil.
16.
abundant, plentiful, or ample:
a rich supply.
17.
Automotive. (of a mixture in a fuel system) having a relatively high ratio of fuel to air (contrasted with 2 (def 5.)).
18.
Informal.

noun
19.
(used with a plural verb) rich persons collectively (usually preceded by the):
new tax shelters for the rich.
/ˌəʊvəˈrɪtʃ/
adjective
1.
(of food) excessively flavoursome or fatty
2.
being excessively abundant, strong, etc: overrich heroin
/rɪtʃ/
adjective
1.

2.
when postpositive, usually foll by in. having an abundance of natural resources, minerals, etc: a land rich in metals
3.
producing abundantly; fertile: rich soil
4.
when postpositive, usually foll by in or with. well supplied (with desirable qualities); abundant (in): a country rich with cultural interest
5.
of great worth or quality; valuable: a rich collection of antiques
6.
luxuriant or prolific: a rich growth of weeds
7.
expensively elegant, elaborate, or fine; costly: a rich display
8.
(of food) having a large proportion of flavoursome or fatty ingredients, such as spices, butter, or cream
9.
having a full-bodied flavour: a rich ruby port
10.
(of a smell) pungent or fragrant
11.
(of colour) intense or vivid; deep: a rich red
12.
(of sound or a voice) full, mellow, or resonant
13.
(of a fuel-air mixture) containing a relatively high proportion of fuel Compare weak (sense 12)
14.
very amusing, laughable, or ridiculous: a rich joke, a rich situation
noun
15.
See riches
/rɪtʃ/
noun
1.
Adrienne. 1929–2012, US poet and feminist writer; her volumes of poetry include Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law (1963) and Diving Into the Wreck (1973)
2.
Buddy, real name Bernard Rich. 1917–87, US jazz drummer and band leader
adj.

Old English rice “strong, powerful; great, mighty; of high rank,” in later Old English “wealthy,” from Proto-Germanic *rikijaz (cf. Old Norse rikr, Swedish rik, Danish rig, Old Frisian rike “wealthy, mighty,” Dutch rijk, Old High German rihhi “ruler, powerful, rich,” German reich “rich,” Gothic reiks “ruler, powerful, rich”), borrowed from a Celtic source akin to Gaulish *rix, Old Irish ri (genitive rig) “king,” from PIE root *reg- “move in a straight line,” hence, “direct, rule” (see rex).

The form of the word was influenced in Middle English by Old French riche “wealthy, magnificent, sumptuous,” which is, with Spanish rico, Italian ricco, from Frankish *riki “powerful,” or some other cognate Germanic source.

Old English also had a noun, rice “rule, reign, power, might; authority; empire.” The evolution of the word reflects a connection between wealth and power in the ancient world. Of food and colors, from early 14c.; of sounds, from 1590s. Sense of “entertaining, amusing” is recorded from 1760. The noun meaning “the wealthy” was in Old English.

Related Terms

strike it rich, too rich for someone’s blood
In addition to the idiom beginning with
rich