covetous
English
Etymology
From Middle English coveitous, from Anglo-Norman *cuveitus, from Medieval Latin as if *cupiditosus, from Latin cupiditas (“desire”); see covet.
Pronunciation
- enPR: kŭv'ət-əs, IPA(key): /ˈkʌvətəs/
Audio (US) (file)
Adjective
covetous (comparative more covetous, superlative most covetous)
- Extremely keen or desirous, especially to obtain and possess something belonging to someone else; avaricious.
- 1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “(please specify the page)”, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, OCLC 1000392275, pages 125–126:
- Intimate as she was with Lady Anne, she would not but see how little the Misses Granard had of the ordinary pleasures of their age—but it never entered into her head to add to them—had one of their sweet faces been seen in her box at the opera, it might have attracted that attention she was feverishly covetous of engrossing.
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Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:greedy
Derived terms
- covetousness
- covetously
Related terms
- covet
Translations
Inordinately desirous; excessively eager to obtain and possess (especially money); avaricious
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Further reading
- covetous in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- covetous in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911