COVET

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does covet mean? 

• COVET (verb)
  The verb COVET has 1 sense:

1. wish, long, or crave for (something, especially the property of another person)

  Familiarity information: COVET used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COVET (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they covet    ... he / she / it covets   
Past simple: coveted   
Past participle: coveted   
-ing form: coveting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Wish, long, or crave for (something, especially the property of another person)

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

She covets her sister's house

Hypernyms (to "covet" is one way to...):

begrudge; envy (be envious of; set one's heart on)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "covet"):

drool; salivate (be envious, desirous, eager for, or extremely happy about something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They covet the money

 Context examples 

All the privilege I claim for my own sex (it is not a very enviable one; you need not covet it), is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Uranus will send an unexpected beam to the eclipse of December 25, and you are likely to win a coveted assignment out of the blue.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

She valued his esteem, she coveted his respect, she wanted to be worthy of his friendship, and just when the wish was sincerest, she came near to losing everything.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Buck trotted up to the place Spitz would have occupied as leader; but François, not noticing him, brought Sol-leks to the coveted position.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

He continued to gaze at the picture: the longer he looked, the firmer he held it, the more he seemed to covet it.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Why, you have that which I covet above all things.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This interfered with the solitude I coveted for the prosecution of my task; yet at the commencement of my journey the presence of my friend could in no way be an impediment, and truly I rejoiced that thus I should be saved many hours of lonely, maddening reflection.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

"S'ant!" replied the young rebel, helping himself to the coveted 'cakie', and beginning to eat the same with calm audacity.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I am obliged to you: it is the meed teachers most covet—praise of their pupils' progress.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Sallie was very kind, and often offered her the coveted trifles, but Meg declined them, knowing that John wouldn't like it, and then this foolish little woman went and did what John disliked even worse.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)