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 For a very long time, other nations have been sizing up California with a covetous eye. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2025 Those include a daffy retriever, a headstrong capybara, a covetous lemur and a mysterious bird, as well as glimpses of more fantastical creatures. Jack Smart, People.com, 5 Jan. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for covetous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covetous
Adjective
  • To be clear, most of the blame for this climate crisis goes to the greedy fossil fuel executives and big agriculture executives, their greenwashing PR firms, and the politicians in their pockets.
    Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
  • But Septime Webre’s choreography is supposed to have the air of wild and sometimes frenzied social dancing, of Charlestons and Fox Trots and Black Bottoms, of indulging the glorious excesses of the 1920s before the greedier side of the American Dream comes crashing down a few years later.
    David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Neither a film noir femme fatale nor a jealous housewife, Sarah Trafford (Ruth Wilson) has come to Oxford Investigations for help in solving a mystery that has little to do with her own life.
    Judy Berman, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
  • During an appearance on The Eli Manning Show in May 2024, Eli joked about feeling a bit jealous to hand over the character to Powell.
    Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The evil-doing in question is simple enough, at least for a franchise that has always been built around the existence of a clandestine organization of magicians (The Eye) who love using their skills to take down bad guys and quite literally share the wealth with their eager audiences.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Ghana has been one of the first countries to make major Article 6 sales, and some other African nations are eager to follow, Ali Mohamed, Kenya’s special climate envoy, told Semafor.
    Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The mercenary group for years propped up militant groups and authoritarian regimes in the Sahel in exchange for mineral resources — including huge concessions in Sudan’s gold mining industry.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Reuters reported in April 2019 that Prince had been shopping a plan to topple the Maduro regime using mercenary soldiers.
    Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Harlan has an avaricious family, each member of which has something to gain from his death.
    Anna Russell, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
  • What Netanyahu wants is not this peace deal or avaricious annexations, but to stay in power.
    Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Building out that platform and benefiting as more teams are plugged into it has meant Leonsis and MSE have stayed acquisitive.
    Ian Thomas, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Retail e-commerce penetration had surged during the pandemic, which brought a rush of acquisitive capital into the space.
    Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Covetous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covetous. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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