coveted

American  

[kuhv-i-tid] / ˈkʌv ɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. wrongfully or inordinately desired.

   Pizarro led a party of conquistadores in an attempt to discover El Dorado—the source of the coveted gold of the Incas.

2. highly or eagerly wished for.

   The Green Building Council's gold certification is a coveted prize for sustainable building design.

---

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of covet.

Other Word Forms

• uncoveted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of coveted

covet ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

Coveted means "in demand" or "desired." If the most coveted seat on the bus for you is the one right next to the bathroom, then you shouldn’t have any problem getting it because most people don't want it. Coveted comes from the Latin cupiditas, meaning "passionate desire, eagerness, ambition." Cupid isn't always involved, though — coveted is another way of saying "sought after." The poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox said, “If you are seeking health, wealth, usefulness, skill in any direction, there is nothing and no one who can hinder your attainment of the coveted boon, if you are willing to work and wait." So get to work for all that coveted health and wealth!

Example Sentences

Proudly displaying the coveted trophy, the players waved to the crowds from open-top buses as the Gunners travelled a five-mile loop through Islington, circling Emirates Stadium.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

The Parisian front line, led by France’s Ousmane Dembélé, is more coveted than any handbag on the Champs-Élysées.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

Broadcast is in decline, and the late-night position Deborah long coveted is one most comics don’t want.

From Salon • May 29, 2026

Instead, they act as digital lookouts who hunt for coveted vintage apartments that are otherwise hard to find without expertise.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

She coveted it and plucked at it whenever she could.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

Related Words

• crave
• envy
• lust after