1
as in greedy
having or marked by an eager and often selfish desire especially for material possessions
one aggressive bargain hunter rushed to make a covetous grab for the last marked-down TV
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2
as in jealous
having or showing mean resentment of another's possessions or advantages
a covetous child who must destroy what he cannot have
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Recent Examples of covetous
As Céline launches a charm offensive — a kind of maternal seduction, even — on the boy, Alice grows ever more anxiously protective: Is her bereft neighbor merely seeking an outlet for her grief, or enacting some kind of covetous revenge?
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Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Mar. 2024
In a typical dispatch for The Church Times, about St. Matthew, Mr. Blythe wrote: Not for us covetous desires and inordinate love of riches.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2023
Carol Foyler, who lives in Akron, Ohio, was openly covetous of the U.K.’s malignant narcissist.
—Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2022
New-car temptation will come in many forms—with electricity, old-fashioned gas grunt, or a combo of both—to your covetous heart and, manufacturers hope, your garage.
—Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, 10 Oct. 2022
See all Example Sentences for covetous 
Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Mar. 2024
In a typical dispatch for The Church Times, about St. Matthew, Mr. Blythe wrote: Not for us covetous desires and inordinate love of riches.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2023
Carol Foyler, who lives in Akron, Ohio, was openly covetous of the U.K.’s malignant narcissist.
—Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2022
New-car temptation will come in many forms—with electricity, old-fashioned gas grunt, or a combo of both—to your covetous heart and, manufacturers hope, your garage.
—Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, 10 Oct. 2022
See all Example Sentences for covetous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covetous
Adjective
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Even as a single, childless woman, which society calls failure, my life always felt charmed, so charmed that asking God for more felt greedy.Essence, Essence, 17 Dec. 2024
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Some wonder what's wrong with American society; some see a wakeup call for greedy health insurers.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The show’s tone frequently changes to match the runaway plot, whose digressive subplots involve time travel, a mad scientist and his jealous nephew, and Baek-joong’s food critic ex-girlfriend (played by the celebrity fashion model Jung Ho-yeon).Simon Abrams, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
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His explanation was that Alice was jealous of their relationship, but Andrea and Jenny suspect that this was not the real reason.Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Self-esteem: Feedback from others can make all the difference in a journey of self-improvement, and your participation will be assessed by a diverse group of reviewers eager to offer their opinions not only on your appearance, but also on your overall demeanor and person.Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
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Airlines, especially, have been eager to point fingers at short staffing in control towers as a major cause of delays, especially during peak travel seasons.Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Leaving these questions unasked opens the door to a mercenary, amoral public life.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
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My wife, who is not an international money launderer or mercenary warlord, was turned down for a savings account with a UK bank last year because her driving license had expired.David G.W. Birch, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Ever since the United States liberated Kuwait from the avaricious clutches of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War of 1990-91, the Kuwaitis have supported U.S. priorities in the Middle East and elsewhere.Martin Indyk, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2022
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Stalin’s apprenticeship in high-stakes diplomacy had shown him to be cunning but also opportunistic, avaricious, obdurate.Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2017
Adjective
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The synergies that acquisitive CEOs routinely promise often fail to materialize, but in this instance there was never any realistic prospect for synergies.Martin Fridson, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
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But the dealer’s acquisitive focus often operated as a Midas touch, turning those around him into golden objects.Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near covetous
Cite this Entry
“Covetous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covetous. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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