covet

American  

[kuhv-it] / ˈkʌv ɪt /

verb (used with object)

1. to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others.

   to covet another's property.

   Antonyms:

   renounce

2. to wish for, especially eagerly.

   He won the prize they all coveted.

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verb (used without object)

1. to have an inordinate or wrongful desire.

covet British  

/ ˈkʌvɪt /

verb

1. to wish, long, or crave for (something, esp the property of another person)

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Related Words

See envy.

Other Word Forms

• covetable adjective
• coveter noun
• covetingly adverb
• uncoveting adjective

Etymology

Origin of covet

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

Example Sentences

The film earned a nomination for the coveted best ensemble prize, SAG's equivalent of best picture.

From Barron's

Or, according to an erratic transactional logic in which force would no longer serve freedom but replace it, an allied nation: Denmark, whose Greenland he covets?

From The Wall Street Journal

The company’s storied library, home to Harry Potter and Batman, is coveted in Hollywood, offering a way for Paramount or Netflix to add scale and attract and retain streaming customers.

From The Wall Street Journal

This year, it took the coveted first weekend of awards season usually occupied by the Golden Globes, which will take place in Beverly Hills next weekend.

From Barron's

He makes no secret of the way he covets the mineral wealth of other countries.

From BBC

Related Words

• crave
• envy
• lust after