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What is the correct word to describe the level(degree) of greed?

Let's say in range between 0 (not greedy) and 10 (very greedy). Greedy or greediness?

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  • Your question is a bit strangely phrased. Are you asking about the word to describe different degrees of greed from absence of it to extreme levels? Or are you simply asking whether 'Greed' or 'Greediness' is the correct word to use?
    – Rio1210
    Mar 21, 2017 at 16:09
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    Greedy is an adjective, and greediness is a noun. An adjective can be assessed by comparative/superlative (greedy, more greedy, most greedy, and very greedy fits in there somewhere); a noun can be quantified by magnitude.
    – Andrew Leach ♦
    Mar 21, 2017 at 16:14
  • @AndrewLeach Does Greediness sound a bit off to you? I feel the word 'Greed' expresses the same meaning (as a noun).
    – Rio1210
    Mar 21, 2017 at 16:18
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    No, if you are asking what I think you're asking, then I'd use greediness. I can see that Oxford is no help whatsoever though. I'm sure someone can write a good answer which is better than their "help".
    – Andrew Leach ♦
    Mar 21, 2017 at 16:20
  • @Rio1210 yes, I am asking about different degrees, I am designing a game character model which should have a property "greed" or "greediness", which represents how greedy the character is. The value of this property changes during the "lifetime" of the character.
    – Zygimantas
    Mar 21, 2017 at 16:32

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If you're developing game characters, then you might want to use synonyms of Greed, like Avarice. This is mostly used to describe greed for wealth (might work well if your character likes coins.)

There are other similar words like Rapacity and Cupidity but I don't know how good they would sound as a game character.

Closely related words like Gluttony (used as a character in Full metal Alchemist) might work.

As you have provided a gaming context, I would also suggest to consider compound words for your characters.

Something along the line of Greed Lord, Master of Avarice might work (I just mentioned this two off the top of my head.) Play with various pairing of such words, you might come up with something you like.

And if you are looking at it from a purely grammatical perspective as @Andre Leach mentioned, "greedy, more greedy, most greedy, and very greedy" fits the bill.

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  • Thank you for teaching me a new word "Avarice". I haven't used it before. What do you think about "avariciousness"? Maybe it also describes the character's proclivity(?) to be more or less avaricious/greedy?
    – Zygimantas
    Mar 21, 2017 at 17:06
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    Grammatically, Avarice is already a noun, and 'something-ness' is usually to make something a noun. So, avariciousness is 'overkill'. But as you're using it in a gaming environment so it's up to you to decide whether it provides a certain verve. Pleasure to be of help.
    – Rio1210
    Mar 21, 2017 at 17:15
  • Just for curiosity, my native language is a little different, and all nouns, describing character's traits have the same ending. Is the word avarice similar to all of these words: "selfishness, agility, goodwill, whimsicality, appeal, patriotism" in English?
    – Zygimantas
    Mar 21, 2017 at 17:31
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    Yes. Avarice is similar to those in the sense that they are all nouns. Think like this Avarice = Greed, both nouns. Greedy = Avaricious, both adjectives.
    – Rio1210
    Mar 21, 2017 at 17:33

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