Standard Lemma guide

covetous

adj · 3 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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  • kŭv'ət-əs
  • /ˈkʌvətəs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Distastefully desirous or keen, especially for something belonging to someone else; avaricious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: acquisitive, avaricious, cormorant, covetous, edacious, esurient, grasping, greedy, miserable, piggish, miserly, rapacious, selfish, sordid, sharp-set, voracious

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they are avaricious and will do anything for money
  • casting covetous eyes on his neighbor's fields
  • a grasping old miser
  • grasping commercialism
  • greedy for money and power
  • grew richer and greedier
  • prehensile employers stingy with raises for their employees

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: avaricious, grabby, grasping, greedy, prehensile

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's advantages

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he was never covetous before he met her
  • jealous of his success and covetous of his possessions
  • envious of their art collection

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: envious, jealous

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English coveitous, from Anglo-Norman *cuveitus, from Medieval Latin as if *cupiditosus, from Latin cupiditas (“desire”); see covet.

Across languages

Translations

40 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: طَمَّاع (ṭammāʕ) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Arabic: حَسُود (ḥasūd) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Arabic: مُشْتَهٍ (muštahin) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Arabic: شَرِه (šarih) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Armenian: ագահ (agah) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Bulgarian: алчен (alčen) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Bulgarian: лаком (lakom) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Chinese Mandarin: 貪求的 /贪求的 (tānqiú de) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Chinese Mandarin: 垂涎的 (chuíxián de) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Czech: lačný — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Czech: žádostivý — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Czech: prahnoucí — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Finnish: himoitseva — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Finnish: isoava — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • French: avare — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Galician: cobizoso — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • German: begierig — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • German: gierig — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Gothic: 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌺𐍃 (faihufriks) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Greek: φθονερός (fthonerós) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Greek: ζηλόφθων (zilófthon) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Hindi: लालची (lālcī) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Hindi: लोभी (lobhī) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Hungarian: kapzsi — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Hungarian: mohó — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Irish: maoinchíocrach — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Irish: amplach — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Irish: amplúil — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Irish: antlásach — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Irish: santach — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Latin: trahax — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Norwegian: gjerrig — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Persian: حریص (haris) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Polish: chciwy — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Polish: pożądliwy — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Russian: а́лчный (álčnyj) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Russian: жа́дный (žádnyj) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Scottish Gaelic: sanntach — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Ottoman Turkish: آج (ac) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious
  • Ottoman Turkish: حریص (haris) — distastefully desirous or keen — see also avaricious