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covetous

[kuhv-i-tuhs]
adjective
  1. inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions; greedy.
  2. eagerly desirous.
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Origin of covetous

1250–1300; Middle English coveitous < Anglo-French, Old French; see covet, -ous
Related formscov·et·ous·ly, adverbcov·et·ous·ness, nounnon·cov·et·ous, adjectivenon·cov·et·ous·ly, adverbnon·cov·et·ous·ness, nouno·ver·cov·et·ous, adjectiveo·ver·cov·et·ous·ly, adverbo·ver·cov·et·ous·ness, nounun·cov·et·ous, adjectiveun·cov·et·ous·ly, adverbun·cov·et·ous·ness, noun

Synonyms

1. grasping, rapacious.

Synonym study

1. See avaricious.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for covetously

Historical Examples

  • He took it all into his heart, covetously, greedily, trying to fix it there for ever.

    Robert Elsmere

    Mrs. Humphry Ward

  • Fleming's eye glanced at it covetously, ignoring the figure behind it.

  • "Wish we were on the same game," added Branscombe covetously.

  • He snatched it covetously from the letter-rack, and carried it upstairs to his room.

  • Then he leaned forward, his eyes fixed boldly, covetously on her.

    The Salamander

    Owen Johnson

British Dictionary definitions for covetously

covetous

adjective
  1. (usually postpositive and foll by of) jealously eager for the possession of something (esp the property of another person)
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Derived Formscovetously, adverbcovetousness, 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

Word Origin and History for covetously

covetous

adj.

mid-13c., from Old French coveitos (12c., Modern French convoiteux) "desirous, covetous," from Vulgar Latin *cupiditosus, from Latin cupiditas (see covet). Related: Covetously; covetousness.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper