rich implies having more than enough to gratify normal needs or desires.
became rich through shrewd investing
wealthy stresses the possession of property and intrinsically valuable things.
wealthy landowners
affluent suggests prosperity and an increasing wealth.
an affluent society
opulent suggests lavish expenditure and display of great wealth, more often applying to things than people.
an opulent mansion
Example Sentences
an opulent upper crust that liked to show off its possessions an opulent mansion filled with priceless art and antiques
Recent Examples on the WebAnd he’s been routinely attacked for an opulent lifestyle, including owning a nine-bedroom yacht.Fox News, 5 July 2022 Styles, Pugh and Wilde are just some of the stars expected to pose on the docks outside of the opulent Hotel Excelsior and grace the red carpet outside of the Palazzo del Cinema. Lindsey Bahr, ajc, 28 Aug. 2022 Styles, Pugh and Wilde are just some of the stars expected to pose on the docks outside of the opulent Hotel Excelsior and grace the red carpet outside of the Palazzo del Cinema. Lindsey Bahr, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Aug. 2022 This opulent California manse is like living in an Italian palazzo. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2022 Since its debut in 2006, the company has amassed a small fleet of high-speed vessels, offering 45-minute tours through some of Miami’s most opulent waterways. Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022 Attendees wore their most opulent ensembles, featuring crowns, face jewels, shimmering gowns, and masks. Rosa Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 18 Aug. 2022 The office was connected by a secret tunnel to his home, an opulent townhouse on 63rd Street. William Cohan, Town & Country, 18 Aug. 2022 For the first time in more than half a century, the opulent estate once belonging to Theodor Seuss Geisel — better known as Dr. Seuss — is hitting the market. Alain Sherter, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin opulentus "abounding in resources, wealthy," from op-, *ops "power, ability, wealth" + -ulentus "having in quantity, full of" (probably dissimilated from *-o-u̯ent-os, with Indo-European *-u̯ent-, suffix of possession) — more at opus