covet

[ kuhv-it ]
See synonyms for: covetcovetedcovetingcovetable on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others: to covet another's property.

  2. to wish for, especially eagerly: He won the prize they all coveted.

verb (used without object)
  1. to have an inordinate or wrongful desire.

Origin of covet

1
First recorded in 1325–1350; Middle English coveiten, from Anglo-French coveiter, Old French coveit(i)er, from unattested Vulgar Latin cupiditāre, verbal derivative of Latin cupiditās cupidity

synonym study For covet

1. See envy.

Opposites for covet

Other words from covet

  • cov·et·a·ble, adjective
  • cov·et·er, noun
  • cov·et·ing·ly, adverb
  • un·cov·et·ing, adjective

Words Nearby covet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use covet in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for covet

covet

/ (ˈkʌvɪt) /


verb-vets, -veting or -veted (tr)
  1. to wish, long, or crave for (something, esp the property of another person)

Origin of covet

1
C13: from Old French coveitier, from coveitié eager desire, ultimately from Latin cupiditā cupidity

Derived forms of covet

  • covetable, adjective
  • coveter, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012