covet

verb

cov·et | \ ˈkə-vət

coveted; coveting; covets

Definition of covet

transitive verb

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.

intransitive verb

: to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another

Other Words from covet Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about covet

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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

Fact/tidbit/piece of news learned from OTAs/minicamp Head coach Sean McVay has coveted Brandin Cooks since the wideout came out of Oregon State in 2014. — Andy Benoit, SI.com, "NFC West Offseason Report Cards: Cardinals Blitzing, Rams Spend on Defense, Garoppolo Ready to Execute, Seahawks Rebuilding," 28 June 2018 Trump openly covets Ohio and sees it as essential to him winning a second term in office. — Seth A. Richardson, cleveland.com, "Jim Renacci gets a boost from Donald Trump during presidential visit," 5 May 2018 On the flip side, though, a more low-key look could be highly appealing to a celebrity clientele, who'd covet an unassuming exterior that's less likely to be flanked by paparazzi day and night. — Candace Braun Davison, House Beautiful, "There's An Interesting Theory Why Justin Timberlake's New York Penthouse Hasn't Sold," 25 July 2018 According to sources, Smith was the player that Brown always coveted. — Keith Pompey, Philly.com, "76ers draft pick Zhaire Smith can relate to all-star Kawhi Leonard," 22 June 2018 To create that coveted marbled effect, spread yogurt over each slice of toast and add six to eight small dollops of harissa, then use the backside of a spoon to swirl the harissa into the yogurt. — Aliza Abarbanel, Bon Appetit, "Smashed Chickpeas on Toast Is Perfect for Picnics, Weeknights, and Moments of Desperation," 23 May 2018 Nordic banks, once coveted as the best-run and best-capitalized in Europe, appear to be losing their luster. — Hanna Hoikkala, Bloomberg.com, "Banking Brilliance Has Suffered a Serious Setback in the Nordics," 1 May 2018 But his wicked uncle, Scar, covets the kingdom for himself. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Surprise! Disney drops first trailer for “live-action” film The Lion King," 23 Nov. 2018 Trump has coveted seats held by several red-state Democrats, including Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jon Tester of Montana and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. — Ken Thomas, The Seattle Times, "WHAT TO WATCH: After turbulent campaign, it’s up to voters," 7 Nov. 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.