verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈkʌvɪt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ʌvɪt
CMU ARPABET:K AH1 V AH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession of, often enviously.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To long for inordinately or unlawfully; to hanker after (something forbidden).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To yearn; to have or indulge an inordinate desire, especially for another's possession.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
wish, long, or crave for (something, especially the property of another person)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
She covets her sister's house
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: envy, begrudge
Narrower terms: salivate, drool
History
Etymology
From Middle English coveten, coveiten, coveyten, from Old French covoitier (modern French convoiter), from covoitié (“desire”), presumably modified from Latin cupiditas.
Across languages
Translations
100 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
طَمُعَ
(ṭamuʕa)
— to wish for with eagerness
Arabic:
طَمِعَ
(ṭamiʕa)
— to wish for with eagerness
Arabic:
جَشِعَ
(jašiʕa)
— to wish for with eagerness
Azerbaijani:
tamah salmaq
— to wish for with eagerness
Bulgarian:
жадувам
(žaduvam)
— to wish for with eagerness
Burmese:
မက်
(mak)
— to wish for with eagerness
Chinese Mandarin:
貪求 /贪求
(tānqiú)
— to wish for with eagerness
Chinese Mandarin:
貪圖 /贪图
(tāntú)
— to wish for with eagerness
Chinese Mandarin:
渴望
(kěwàng)
— to wish for with eagerness
Chinese Mandarin:
垂涎
(chuíxián)
— to wish for with eagerness
Danish:
begære
— to wish for with eagerness
Danish:
attrå
— to wish for with eagerness
Dutch:
begeren
— to wish for with eagerness
Dutch:
hunkeren
— to wish for with eagerness
Dutch:
verlangen
— to wish for with eagerness
Dutch:
smachten (naar)
— to wish for with eagerness
Esperanto:
deziri
— to wish for with eagerness
Esperanto:
avidi
— to wish for with eagerness
Finnish:
himoita
— to wish for with eagerness
French:
convoiter
— to wish for with eagerness
French:
désirer
— to wish for with eagerness
Galician:
cobizar
— to wish for with eagerness
Galician:
desexar
— to wish for with eagerness
Galician:
devecer
— to wish for with eagerness
Galician:
degorar
— to wish for with eagerness
Galician:
gorar
— to wish for with eagerness
Galician:
bremar
— to wish for with eagerness
German:
begehren
— to wish for with eagerness
Gothic:
𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽
(gairnjan)
— to wish for with eagerness
Ancient Greek:
ἐπῐθῡμέω
(epĭthūméō)
— to wish for with eagerness
Hebrew:
חמד
(chamad)
— to wish for with eagerness
Italian:
concupire
— to wish for with eagerness
Italian:
bramare
— to wish for with eagerness
Japanese:
切望する
(setsubō suru)
— to wish for with eagerness
Japanese:
貪る
(musaboru)
— to wish for with eagerness
Japanese:
欲張る
(okubaru)
— to wish for with eagerness
Latin:
concupio
— to wish for with eagerness
Malayalam:
കൊതിക്കുക
(kotikkuka)
— to wish for with eagerness
Māori:
taiapo
— to wish for with eagerness
Māori:
kōhaehae
— to wish for with eagerness
Māori:
kaiapo
— to wish for with eagerness
Marathi:
अभिलाषणे
(abhilāṣṇe)
— to wish for with eagerness
Marathi:
लालचणे
(lālacṇe)
— to wish for with eagerness
Marathi:
लालचावणे
(lālcāvṇe)
— to wish for with eagerness
Marathi:
लालुचणे
(lālucṇe)
— to wish for with eagerness
Norwegian:
attrå
— to wish for with eagerness
Norwegian:
ønske sterkt
— to wish for with eagerness
Old English:
wilnian
— to wish for with eagerness
Polish:
pożądać
— to wish for with eagerness
Polish:
pragnąć
— to wish for with eagerness
Portuguese:
desejar
— to wish for with eagerness
Portuguese:
cobiçar
— to wish for with eagerness
Romanian:
râvni
— to wish for with eagerness
Romanian:
dori
— to wish for with eagerness
Romanian:
jindui
— to wish for with eagerness
Romanian:
ochi
— to wish for with eagerness
Russian:
жажда́ть
(žaždátʹ)
— to wish for with eagerness
Russian:
си́льно жела́ть
(sílʹno želátʹ)
— to wish for with eagerness
Sanskrit:
गृध्यति
(gṛdhyati)
— to wish for with eagerness
Serbo-Croatian:
žudjeti
— to wish for with eagerness
Serbo-Croatian:
žuditi
— to wish for with eagerness
Serbo-Croatian:
žudeti
— to wish for with eagerness
Slovak:
mať zálusk (na niečo)
— to wish for with eagerness
Spanish:
codiciar
— to wish for with eagerness
Swedish:
begära
— to wish for with eagerness
Tagalog:
imbutin
— to wish for with eagerness
Turkish:
imrenmek
— to wish for with eagerness
Chinese Cantonese:
覬覦 /觊觎
(gei3 jyu4)
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
Dutch:
begeren
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
Dutch:
lonken
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
French:
convoiter
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
French:
guigner
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
Māori:
taiapo
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
Māori:
kaiapo
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
Polish:
pożądać
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
Polish:
pragnąć
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
Romanian:
râvni
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
Romanian:
tânji
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
Russian:
жажда́ть
(žaždátʹ)
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
Russian:
си́льно жела́ть
(sílʹno želátʹ)
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
Serbo-Croatian:
hlepiti
— to long for inordinately or unlawfully
Bulgarian:
пожелавам
(poželavam)
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Dutch:
lusten
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Dutch:
smachten
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Finnish:
himoita
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
German:
sehnen
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Gothic:
𐌱𐌹𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽
(bifaihōn)
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Māori:
monoa
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Māori:
monowa
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Māori:
kōhaehae
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Polish:
pożądać
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Polish:
pragnąć
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Russian:
жажда́ть
(žaždátʹ)
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Russian:
домога́ться
(domogátʹsja)
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Russian:
си́льно жела́ть
(sílʹno želátʹ)
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Serbo-Croatian:
žuditi
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Serbo-Croatian:
žudjeti
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Serbo-Croatian:
žudeti
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Swedish:
sukta
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
Turkish:
gözü kalmak
— to have or indulge inordinate desire
