Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective covetous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of covetous are acquisitive, avaricious, grasping, and greedy. While all these words mean "having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions," covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

covetous of his brother's country estate

Where would acquisitive be a reasonable alternative to covetous?

The meanings of acquisitive and covetous largely overlap; however, acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep.

an eagerly acquisitive mind

In what contexts can avaricious take the place of covetous?

The words avaricious and covetous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

an avaricious miser

How is grasping related to other words for covetous?

Grasping adds to covetous and greedy an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means.

a hard grasping businesswoman who cheated her associates

When is it sensible to use greedy instead of covetous?

The synonyms greedy and covetous are sometimes interchangeable, but greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire.

greedy for status symbols

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of covetous No actor has played him with as much reptilian cruelty and covetous flair as Andrew Scott, either. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024 Though covetous of certain products, trends surrounding brands are often a flash in the pan, according to Casey Lewis, Gen Z consumer analyst and author of the viral After School newsletter. Bysasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2024 All regard Cuba with the covetous memories of former lovers—longing mingled with knowledge of the island’s practical side, its transactionalism. Jon Lee Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021 Photo : Mercedes-Benz AG This is a vehicle that is at once a capacious hauler of humans, a covetous lifestyle accessory, and a wildly competent militaristic transport. Brett Berk, Robb Report, 13 May 2024 See All Example Sentences for covetous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covetous
Adjective
  • They weren’t built by the government, but rather by those evil greedy private corporations and individuals who are guilty of the heinous crime of providing millions of Americans with places to live.
    The Editors, National Review, 30 June 2025
  • The backdrop of the Marcos dictatorship shaped her artistic approach, defined by an interest in quotidian experience—including everyday injustices such as gender inequality and the ecological exploitation of the Philippines by greedy conglomerates.
    Hung Duong, Artforum, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • Some dogs may be jealous of the litter, while others who want to play may be too rough with them.
    Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
  • These two have always been uneasy allies, each jealous of the other’s relationship with Mikey, each convinced the other is somehow more comfortable among all the biological and adopted Berzattos, each incapable of giving a proper apology to the other one.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • Comprised mostly of phishing, but also malware, threats, the domains in question have been created by cybercriminals seeking to benefit from the high media profile of Prime Day and the anticipated flood of consumers eager to grab a bargain.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • The family were eager Catholics: his mother, a school librarian, sang in the choir, as did young Robert.
    Belinda Luscombe, Time, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • The two had admittedly a little too much fun making their new action comedy, which follows the lavish wedding of Betsy (Camp) and Ryan (Sam Huntington), which is crashed by a mercenary group that takes everyone hostage.
    EW.com, EW.com, 19 June 2025
  • Any spy or mercenary line of work comes at a massive cost.
    Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 19 June 2025
Adjective
  • The comedy-drama follows a Gen Z content creator who returns to her ancestral home seeking viral material, only to encounter her deceased brother’s ghost while dealing with avaricious relatives.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2025
  • This nation state, my home, is built on a quagmire of lies sold to the young as truths; sold to the insecure as truths; sold by the avaricious, the power-hungry, the conceited, the overwhelmingly white and male.
    Christine Winter, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The competitive battle for smaller players continued into the early 1960s until antitrust laws curtailed the acquisitive sprees.
    Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
  • Over its history OpenText has been an highly acquisitive company to build out its software stack.
    GuruFocus, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Covetous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covetous. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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