Meaning & use
riches
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Meanings
nounplural
A large amount of money, property, or valuable things that someone owns.
Grammar: Takes a plural verb; no singular form. Use it like 'goods' or 'clothes'.
Patterns
- riches from something
- great riches
- amass riches
The family's riches came from a chain of hotels.
He gave away most of his riches to charity.
She dreamed of finding riches buried on the island.
nounpluralfigurative
A large supply of something valuable or pleasing, such as ideas, beauty, or natural resources.
Grammar: Often followed by 'of' and a plural noun: riches of the sea.
Patterns
- riches of something
- the riches of the earth
The library holds riches of knowledge for anyone curious enough to look.
Divers explored the riches of the coral reef.
Common combinations
- amass riches
- He amassed riches through years of careful investing.
- untold riches
- The explorers believed the cave held untold riches.
- riches to rags
- The novel tells a riches-to-rags story of a fallen businessman.
- the riches of
- The museum displays the riches of ancient Egypt.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wealth
- Wealth is the more neutral, formal word for money and possessions; riches sounds more dramatic or literary and is always plural.
- fortune
- A fortune is a very large amount of money, often one sum; riches can refer to many kinds of valuable things, not just cash.
- treasure
- Treasure usually means valuable objects like gold or jewels; riches is broader and can be figurative.
Opposites
Word family
- rich adjective
- Having a lot of money or valuable possessions.
- richly adverb
- In a generous or elaborate way; also meaning 'deservedly'.
- richness noun
- The quality of being rich, full, or valuable.
Commonly confused: riches or rich?
riches vs rich
Rich is an adjective ('a rich man'); riches is a plural noun ('his riches'). Do not write 'a riches.'
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
'The riches of the forest' correctly uses the plural noun with 'of' to mean valuable resources. Option An is wrong because 'riches' never takes 'a.' Option B is wrong because 'riches' takes a plural verb: 'Riches don't always...' Option D is wrong because 'rich' is the adjective needed after 'is.'
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “riches”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.