貪欲

• 読み: どんよく
• ローマ字: donyoku
• 漢字の分解: 貪 (don) — to covet, to be greedy; 欲 (yoku) — desire, greed
• 発音: /doɴ.jo.kɯ/

意味

Greedy; avaricious; voracious. Describes an excessive, insatiable desire for wealth, power, knowledge, or achievement.

A na-adjective (and noun) combining 貪 (to covet greedily) and 欲 (desire). Unlike 強欲 (gouoku), which focuses narrowly on wealth, 貪欲 can apply positively — 貪欲に学ぶ (to learn voraciously) praises intense intellectual hunger. The word captures insatiability: the person always wants more, whether that hunger is admirable or destructive depends on context.

例文

1. 彼は貪欲なまでに知識を吸収し、誰よりも速く成長した。
2. 貪欲に利益を追い求めた結果、多くの部下の信頼を失った。
3. 優秀なアスリートほど、勝利への貪欲さを持っているものだ。

使い方ガイド

場面: business, commentary, literature, sports

トーン: intense

起源と歴史

From 貪 (tan/don, to covet greedily) + 欲 (yoku, desire). Both characters are associated with excess and insatiability in Classical Chinese and Japanese literature.

文化的背景

時代: Classical–Modern

世代: Adults

社会的背景: Universal