1
as in jealousy
a painful awareness of another's possessions or advantages and a desire to have them too
his covetousness for his neighbors' things spoils any enjoyment he might have of his own possessions
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in greed
an intense selfish desire for wealth or possessions
an insatiable covetousness made her work long hours so that she could afford expensive things
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of covetousness
Simple fasting from food can be ruined — rendered not pleasing to Allah — if spoiled by telling lies, slander, denouncing someone behind his back, swearing a false oath, greed or covetousness.
—
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 17 Feb. 2026
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covetousness
Noun
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JoAnne is mired in student debt and married to her former professor, fueling understandable jealousy behind her therapist’s poker face.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2026
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Between the jealousy, paranoia, and a shocking cake-cutting scene that'd give any wedding planner a lifetime of nightmares, The Girlfriend puts a soapy, sexy, scary spin on well-trodden monster-in-law territory.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While their energies differ, nearly all of them share the same basic drives (money, power, status) and the same fundamental flaws (greed, arrogance, selfishness).—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
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Charting his meteoric rise and ultimate fall, which led to Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio in the film) serving 22 months in prison, the book provides a first-hand account of the greed and consequential moral implications of America’s financial sector.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Gracie’s discovery is squelched and this character’s value to the play comes in establishing how institutional silence can have an equally pernicious impact on confronting social hatreds.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
7 Apr. 2026
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There is nothing quite like the theater and hatred that comes when the Penguins and Flyers share a sheet of ice.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Season 2 of the Netflix iteration dropped all nine of its episodes on April 10, with early promises to stay faithful evaporating as new attractions emerged and simmering resentments boiled over.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
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But Elham, a contentious and fiercely competitive student, suspects that Marjan’s zeal for anglophone culture, including Hollywood romantic comedies, masks a resentment for the Iranian life she is now stuck with.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The playground would be the envy of children anywhere; Stratton, a father of two, pointed out a water park, a climbing wall, and rope climbing towers.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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In some communities, authoritarian parents are the envy of the neighborhood.—
Kelley King Heyworth,
Parents,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Covetousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covetousness. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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