Synonyms
Examples of covet in a Sentence
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.
Claire Harmeyer, Peoplemag, 18 Nov. 2023
Hunter then leads us back in time through the plot turns and betrayals that result in Theresa’s death, with a focus on her best friend, Jackie, who covets Theresa’s life — and husband.
—Jill Pellettieri, Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2023
As perhaps the biggest national brand in college football, the Irish would be coveted by Holiday Bowl officials for the Dec. 27 game at Petco Park.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2023
In truth, much like Lenin and Hitler before him, Putin covets Ukraine’s wealth.
—James K. Glassman, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2023
Its leaders are courted at flashy summits by foreign powers that covet their huge reserves of the minerals needed to make electric cars and solar panels.
—Declan Walsh, New York Times, 27 Oct. 2023
Looked down upon by the New York aristocracy and seeking suitable husbands, five young nouveau riche women high-tail it to London, where they and their financial resources are coveted by title-rich but cash-poor families.
—Chris Vognar, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2023
This gloss hydrates and gives lips that coveted full look.
—Poppy Morgan, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2023
And the fact that these things still happen, this darkness is still out there, people still covet each other’s countries and their own invasions, and all these things just makes the actual fundamental message of the book more important.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Nov. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'covet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle English coveiten, from Anglo-French coveiter, from Vulgar Latin *cupidietare, from Latin cupiditat-, cupiditas desire, from cupidus desirous, from cupere to desire
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near covet
Cite this Entry
“Covet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covet. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on covet
Nglish: Translation of covet for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of covet for Arabic Speakers
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