rich [OE] In Old English rich meant both ‘powerful’ and ‘wealthy’. The idea of unlimited wealth led to an association of ‘given without restraint’, and in the 17th century rich began to mean ‘outrageous, beyond acceptable limits’, which gave us a bit rich in reference to something causing ironic amusement or exasperation. Riches for [ME] ‘wealth’ is strictly speaking not a plural of rich, but from French richesse ‘wealth’.