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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Image Meet Me at the Crossroads by Megan Giddings
The sudden appearance of seven mysterious doors across the world draws attention from religious sects, covetous billionaires and everyday people who speculate over what lies on the other side.
—
Laura Thompson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
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
Similarly, semiconductor equipment suppliers cast their covetous eyes on the market in Taiwan, home to key semiconductor manufacturers.
—Yu-Tzu Chiu, IEEE Spectrum, 7 Feb. 2011
See All Example Sentences for covetous
Laura Thompson, New York Times, 22 May 2025
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
Similarly, semiconductor equipment suppliers cast their covetous eyes on the market in Taiwan, home to key semiconductor manufacturers.
—Yu-Tzu Chiu, IEEE Spectrum, 7 Feb. 2011
See All Example Sentences for covetous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covetous
Adjective
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That disloyal, greedy kid at the center of college football’s first apparent holdout?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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That's the part worth hammering, not that Nike is greedy or calculating.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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On the other side, Altman and OpenAI—along with Microsoft, OpenAI’s biggest investor—have argued that Musk is merely jealous.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
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Secrets is rather jealous of her stay in Pakistan.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Trump had used the act to plaster taxes on imports with eager abandon.—
Paul Wiseman,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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Kay isn’t some kind of unhinged chaos agent or emotional thrill-seeker (well, maybe just a little), but rather an adventurous artist eager to dig deep beneath the surface.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Following coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for security assistance instead.—
Molly Quell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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His litany of urgently treacly smashes was the soundtrack of that era, both a master class in minimal form that updated the mercenary structures of the Brill Building and Frank Sinatra, and also a cool and controlled reimagining of the sensual soul music of the late ’60s through the mid-70s.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Played by a Colman Domingo who is done up to look the most wax figurine of them all in a shellacking of makeup, prosthetics, and colored contacts, Joe is always either giving an avaricious open-mouthed leer or a cold-eyed glare.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
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There’s a quasi-heist theme to The Christophers, which revolves around an acclaimed artist (McKellen), who has long since stopped making new work, and his avaricious children (Gunning and Corden) who try to enlist Coel to complete some of their dad’s unfinished paintings.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Looking back on his 27 years with the bank, Gentry said the timing, loopholes, tax strategies and negotiations that gave the business its acquisitive edge were not because of dumb luck.—
Chase Jordan
April 9,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
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Moreover, the streamers that have taken a more acquisitive approach to live sports content are highly selective.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Covetous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covetous. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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