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
Beyoncé is one of the most influential artists of her generation, and her ability to innovate musically has made her unreleased material especially coveted by fans and within the industry.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
Not because his techniques aren’t coveted, but because he’s authored a number of books and DVDs demo’ing just how to achieve the special touch seen on his top clients.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 7 July 2025
The rankings are popular — many campuses in the country covet the lists — and controversial.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
Porsche’s 356 is a wonderful classic to own and drive, and is especially coveted by enthusiasts with an appreciation for purity of concept and refined design.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for covet
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Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
Not because his techniques aren’t coveted, but because he’s authored a number of books and DVDs demo’ing just how to achieve the special touch seen on his top clients.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 7 July 2025
The rankings are popular — many campuses in the country covet the lists — and controversial.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
Porsche’s 356 is a wonderful classic to own and drive, and is especially coveted by enthusiasts with an appreciation for purity of concept and refined design.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 5 July 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 21 Jul. 2025.
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