adjective
Synonym Usage
See avaricious.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of covetous
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English coveitous, from Anglo-French, Old French; see covet, -ous
Explanation
To be covetous of something is to want it and to be a little jealous of anyone who has it. The advertising industry’s goal is to make you covetous of the things that other people have — that way, you'll buy them. If you feel the desire to own an object, specifically something that your friend owns, you are covetous of it. You might be covetous of her new high-speed digital camera. There is a commandment in Christianity about not feeling covetous toward your neighbor’s spouse: this could apply to a situation when you might find yourself attracted to your friend’s girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, or wife. Best to smother those feelings, if you want to keep that friendship.
Vocabulary lists containing covetous
A Christmas Carol
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Julius Caesar
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Never Enough: Synonyms for "Greedy"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His covetous comments about Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, deepened concerns.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025
Does she ever throws a covetous glance at Draper's set-up?
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2025
For a very long time, other nations have been sizing up California with a covetous eye.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2025
It’s gotten to the point where people in that world are covetous of an invitation from Michael Yon.
From Slate • May 11, 2024
He had seen them on the kingsroad, troupes of mothers and children and anxious fathers who had gazed on his horses and wagons with covetous eyes.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
