Definition of COVET

Other Words from covet

covetable \ˈkə-və-tə-bəl

\ adjective

coveter \ˈkə-və-tər

\ noun

covetingly \ˈkə-və-tiŋ-lē

\ adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for covet

desire, wish, want, crave, covet mean to have a longing for. desire stresses the strength of feeling and often implies strong intention or aim. desires to start a new life wish sometimes implies a general or transient longing especially for the unattainable. wishes for permanent world peace want specifically suggests a felt need or lack. wants to have a family crave stresses the force of physical appetite or emotional need. craves sweets covet implies strong envious desire. covets his rise to fame

Examples of covet in a Sentence

The oldest of the students, she had become a confidante of Fern's and she alone was allowed to call her by her first name. It was not a privilege the others coveted. — Edward P. Jones, The Known World, 2003 The only Commandment I'd breached, besides killing that bird with my air rifle, was that I had coveted Bobby Entrekin's electric train. It blew real smoke. Mine didn't. — Lewis Grizzard, Reader's Digest, January 1992 He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it—namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. — Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, 1876 His religion warns against coveting material goods. I've been coveting that sleek sports car in the showroom for some time now.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Jacksonville Jaguars' Allen Robinson and the Los Angeles Rams' Sammy Watkins appear to be the wide receivers who will be most coveted when NFL free agency begins at 3 p.m. CDT Wednesday. — Mark Inabinett, AL.com, "Jordan Matthews faces free agency after injury-filled season," 13 Mar. 2018 At a whopping $4,100, the Studio was an aspirational device that all would covet, but few could afford. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Microsoft launches next-gen Surface Pro 6, Surface Laptop, Surface Studio and more," 2 Oct. 2018 Because taxi drivers in New York City are required to own them, medallions were once extremely valuable and highly coveted because the demand for cabs was stable. — CBS News, "Uber CEO backs surcharge to aid struggling NYC taxi owners," 12 June 2018 The nonstick grate spread the heat across the cook surface without allowing the flame to char the meat too much (while still delivering those coveted grill marks). — Joe Jackson, Outside Online, "The Best Portable Camp Grills," 1 June 2018 Most workers are hired from Asian nations where cruise-ship jobs are highly coveted. — Chabeli Herrera, miamiherald, "More cruise ships failed sanitation inspections in 2017 than any other year," 14 Feb. 2018 The Guptas had links to the owners of a rival airline that coveted the route. — Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, "The Reputation-Laundering Firm That Ruined Its Own Reputation," 25 May 2018 South Africa is home to more than 80 percent of the world's rhinos, whose population has been depleted by poaching for buyers in Vietnam and China where rhino horn is coveted as an ingredient in traditional medicine. — NBC News, "Rhino poachers eaten by lions on South African game reserve," 6 July 2018 Every seat is coveted; performances typically sell out. — New York Times, "As the Frick Expands, New York City Music Suffers," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'covet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.