Word: cupidity (noun)

Associations

"Cupidity" means a very strong desire to have more money or possessions, often in a greedy or selfish way. It is connected to wanting wealth or things too much.

• Example 1: His cupidity led him to cheat others in business. (Shows greed for money.)
• Example 2: The story warns against cupidity and selfishness. (Shows a moral lesson about greed.)
• Example 3: Cupidity can destroy friendships if people only care about money. (Shows negative effects.)

Synonym: "Greed" is a common synonym. The difference is that "cupidity" is more formal and often used in literature or serious speech, while "greed" is more common in everyday language.

Substitution

You can replace "cupidity" with:

• greed (more common, less formal)
• avarice (very formal, similar meaning)
• desire (less negative, more general)

Changing the word changes how formal or serious the sentence sounds.

Deconstruction

"Cupidity" comes from Latin "cupiditas," which means "desire" or "passion," from "cupere," meaning "to desire." The suffix "-ity" turns an adjective or noun into a noun meaning "the state of."

So "cupidity" literally means "the state of desiring," especially for wealth.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a story or movie where cupidity causes problems?
• Have you ever seen cupidity in real life? How did it affect people?
• How is cupidity different from healthy ambition or wanting to improve your life?