coveted; coveting; covets
1
: to wish for earnestly
covet an award
2
: to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably
The king's brother coveted the throne.
: to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another
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.
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
This car is for the collector who not only covets one of the most important models in the history of one of the world’s most influential marques, but also cherishes a challenge.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 10 Dec. 2025
Major League Baseball teams covet pitching at this time of year, which even extends to pitchers who have spent long careers in the minor leagues without advancing to the game's highest stage.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Our mothers always told us that the best gifts are things the recipient might covet, but would probably not buy for themselves.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Hitler coveted territory not to build a hotel or housing for profit to benefit the local residents.
—Thomas Friedman, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for covet
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Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 10 Dec. 2025
Major League Baseball teams covet pitching at this time of year, which even extends to pitchers who have spent long careers in the minor leagues without advancing to the game's highest stage.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Our mothers always told us that the best gifts are things the recipient might covet, but would probably not buy for themselves.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Hitler coveted territory not to build a hotel or housing for profit to benefit the local residents.
—Thomas Friedman, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for covet
Cite this Entry
“Covet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covet. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.
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