covetous

[ kuhv-i-tuhs ]
See synonyms for: covetouscovetousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions; greedy.

  2. eagerly desirous.

Origin of covetous

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English coveitous, from Anglo-French, Old French; see covet, -ous

synonym study For covetous

1. See avaricious.

Other words for covetous

Other words from covetous

  • cov·et·ous·ly, adverb
  • cov·et·ous·ness, noun
  • non·cov·et·ous, adjective
  • non·cov·et·ous·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·cov·et·ous, adjective
  • o·ver·cov·et·ous·ly, adverb
  • un·cov·et·ous, adjective
  • un·cov·et·ous·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use covetous in a sentence

  • "I should like one o' them to ply with," said the elder covetously.

  • He wanted a new loading-rod for his rifle; and he had gazed covetously at the kobaoba's long horn.

  • Who would guard her from other eyes, that as her beauty and charm came to their full bloom might look covetously upon her?

    The Dreamer | Mary Newton Stanard
  • Then he leaned forward, his eyes fixed boldly, covetously on her.

    The Salamander | Owen Johnson
  • The ape-man leaped upon it covetously, and Sherman bent over the bars, fumbling in his nervous haste to unlock them.

    The Onslaught from Rigel | Fletcher Pratt

British Dictionary definitions for covetous

covetous

/ (ˈkʌvɪtəs) /


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

Derived forms of covetous

  • covetously, adverb
  • covetousness, 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