Dictionary

covet en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈkʌvɪt/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English coveten, coveiten, coveyten, from Old French covoitier (modern French convoiter), from covoitié (“desire”), presumably modified from Latin cupiditas.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession of, often enviously.
   • What Netflix really covets is closer to its current competencies: WBD's “intellectual property”, or in plain English, franchises such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Friends, pictured, and The Sopranos. 2025 December 6, “Netflix’s WBD deal swaps history for fantasy”, in FT Weekend (Lex section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 24:
2. (transitive) To long for inordinately or unlawfully; to hanker after (something forbidden).
3. (intransitive) To yearn; to have or indulge an inordinate desire, especially for another's possession.
   • No! He covets. That is his nature. And how do we begin to covet, Clarice? Do we seek out things to covet? Make an effort to answer now. 1991, Ted Tally, The Silence of the Lambs (motion picture), spoken by Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins):

Forms

Deriveds

uncoveting · coveting · covetingly · covetess

Relateds

covetable · coveter · covetous

Synonyms

hanker

Translations (100)

ja 貪る (to wish for with eagerness) · mi monowa (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · ro dori (to wish for with eagerness) · ja 欲張る (to wish for with eagerness) · nl lusten (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · ar جَشِعَ (to wish for with eagerness) · grc ἐπῐθῡμέω (to wish for with eagerness) · sa गृध्यति (to wish for with eagerness) · az tamah salmaq (to wish for with eagerness) · ro jindui (to wish for with eagerness) · nl begeren (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · mi kaiapo (to wish for with eagerness) · ru си́льно жела́ть (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · fr convoiter (to wish for with eagerness) · sh hlepiti (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · ja 切望する (to wish for with eagerness) · ml കൊതിക്കുക (to wish for with eagerness) · mi monoa (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · no attrå (to wish for with eagerness) · ru си́льно жела́ть (to wish for with eagerness) · la concupio (to wish for with eagerness) · pl pożądać (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · ru жажда́ть (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · fr guigner (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · de begehren (to wish for with eagerness) · cmn 渴望 (to wish for with eagerness) · sk mať zálusk (na niečo) (to wish for with eagerness) · gl gorar (to wish for with eagerness) · mi kōhaehae (to wish for with eagerness) · pt desejar (to wish for with eagerness) · fi himoita (to wish for with eagerness) · pl pożądać (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · yue 覬覦 /觊觎 (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · ru си́льно жела́ть (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · mr लालचावणे (to wish for with eagerness) · nl verlangen (to wish for with eagerness) · my မက် (to wish for with eagerness) · gl degorar (to wish for with eagerness) · got 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌽𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to wish for with eagerness) · sv begära (to wish for with eagerness) · tl imbutin (to wish for with eagerness) · sh žudeti (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · ro ochi (to wish for with eagerness) · gl desexar (to wish for with eagerness) · sh žuditi (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · fr désirer (to wish for with eagerness) · fr convoiter (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · mi taiapo (to wish for with eagerness) · sh žudjeti (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · nl smachten (naar) (to wish for with eagerness) · he חמד (to wish for with eagerness) · nl begeren (to wish for with eagerness) · eo deziri (to wish for with eagerness) · got 𐌱𐌹𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐍉𐌽 (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · nl lonken (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · gl devecer (to wish for with eagerness) · mr लालुचणे (to wish for with eagerness) · tr imrenmek (to wish for with eagerness) · sh žudjeti (to wish for with eagerness) · mr लालचणे (to wish for with eagerness) · mr अभिलाषणे (to wish for with eagerness) · ru жажда́ть (to wish for with eagerness) · bg пожелавам (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · cmn 貪圖 /贪图 (to wish for with eagerness) · sh žudeti (to wish for with eagerness) · ro râvni (to wish for with eagerness) · sv sukta (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · mi kaiapo (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · da attrå (to wish for with eagerness) · bg жадувам (to wish for with eagerness) · pl pragnąć (to wish for with eagerness) · pt cobiçar (to wish for with eagerness) · sh žuditi (to wish for with eagerness) · pl pragnąć (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · eo avidi (to wish for with eagerness) · ru жажда́ть (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · tr gözü kalmak (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · ro râvni (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · ro tânji (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · nl hunkeren (to wish for with eagerness) · cmn 貪求 /贪求 (to wish for with eagerness) · nl smachten (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · ar طَمِعَ (to wish for with eagerness) · it bramare (to wish for with eagerness) · pl pragnąć (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · es codiciar (to wish for with eagerness) · da begære (to wish for with eagerness) · gl cobizar (to wish for with eagerness) · cmn 垂涎 (to wish for with eagerness) · it concupire (to wish for with eagerness) · ang wilnian (to wish for with eagerness) · ru домога́ться (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · ar طَمُعَ (to wish for with eagerness) · de sehnen (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · mi kōhaehae (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · mi taiapo (to long for inordinately or unlawfully) · gl bremar (to wish for with eagerness) · pl pożądać (to wish for with eagerness) · fi himoita (to have or indulge inordinate desire) · no ønske sterkt (to wish for with eagerness)