1
as in greedy
having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions
one aggressive bargain hunter rushed to make a covetous grab for the last marked-down TV
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jealous
having or showing mean resentment of another's possessions or advantages
a covetous child who must destroy what he cannot have
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of covetous
His approach, on and off the pitch, has had a transformative effect and as Palace seek to secure him on a new contract, there have been covetous glances cast in his direction from clubs in the German Bundesliga.
—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
For a very long time, other nations have been sizing up California with a covetous eye.
—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2025
Those include a daffy retriever, a headstrong capybara, a covetous lemur and a mysterious bird, as well as glimpses of more fantastical creatures.
—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
5 Jan. 2025
Similarly, semiconductor equipment suppliers cast their covetous eyes on the market in Taiwan, home to key semiconductor manufacturers.
—
Yu-Tzu Chiu,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 Feb. 2011
See All Example Sentences for covetous
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
For a very long time, other nations have been sizing up California with a covetous eye.
—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2025
Those include a daffy retriever, a headstrong capybara, a covetous lemur and a mysterious bird, as well as glimpses of more fantastical creatures.
—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
5 Jan. 2025
Similarly, semiconductor equipment suppliers cast their covetous eyes on the market in Taiwan, home to key semiconductor manufacturers.
—
Yu-Tzu Chiu,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 Feb. 2011
See All Example Sentences for covetous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covetous
Adjective
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The Sudanese conflict has conscripted the neighboring countries who are selfishly courting either faction for resources or political standing, as well as greedy, exploitative foreign powers who repeatedly leverage religious and cultural tensions in the region, into the fight for profit.
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Next to him were Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, all left-leaning candidates running on a platform that includes abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and taking on bad landlords and greedy corporations.
Adjective
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Brunson routinely greets Hargitay with an embrace after games — so much so that fellow Knicks superfan Ben Stiller admitted to being jealous of their bond.
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Even Madonna gets jealous sometimes.
Adjective
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Brown, though, is in the prime of his career and no doubt eager to prove the Celtics wrong for trading him after a decade in Boston.
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Up in arms about the way the government has been controlling the food supply, the common folk are eager to test their newfound democratic power.
Adjective
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Three years later, Fox commands his dad's mercenary band against Andross.
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The decision was preceded by several decades of fervent debate and disagreement among practitioners; detractors argued that adding the disorder was reckless, if not mercenary.
Adjective
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Played by a Colman Domingo who is done up to look the most wax figurine of them all in a shellacking of makeup, prosthetics, and colored contacts, Joe is always either giving an avaricious open-mouthed leer or a cold-eyed glare.
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There’s a quasi-heist theme to The Christophers, which revolves around an acclaimed artist (McKellen), who has long since stopped making new work, and his avaricious children (Gunning and Corden) who try to enlist Coel to complete some of their dad’s unfinished paintings.
Adjective
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All this acquisitive activity has turned the majority of physicians into employees rather than independent operators.
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Looking back on his 27 years with the bank, Gentry said the timing, loopholes, tax strategies and negotiations that gave the business its acquisitive edge were not because of dumb luck.
Cite this Entry
“Covetous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covetous. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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