What does covetous mean?
"Covetous" is an adjective describing someone with an intense, typically improper longing for something — usually wealth, status, or another person's belongings. The word carries a distinctly disapproving tone: it suggests not merely strong wanting but desire that overreaches what is right or fair, which is why it appears so often in moral, legal, and literary contexts. A covetous glance at a colleague's promotion, or a covetous heir scheming over an estate, both capture this flavour of grasping envy. The word derives from Old French "coveitier," ultimately from Latin "cupiditas," tying it to a long lineage of terms for greed. Its most famous association is biblical — the Tenth Commandment explicitly forbids coveting — giving it unusual moral resonance for an everyday adjective. Related forms include the adverb "covetously" and noun "covetousness," while the verb "covet" expresses the same desire from the other side of the act.
adjectiveHaving or showing a strong, often inordinate desire for something, especially wealth or another person's possessions.
- Desiring something intensely and often wrongly, especially another person's possessions (the dominant sense).
- Marked by greedy longing for wealth or gain in general.
"His covetous gaze lingered on the neighbour's gleaming new car."
"She shot a covetous glance at the last slice of cake on the table."
"The novel's villain was a covetous merchant who ruined rivals to enlarge his fortune."
In the Ten Commandments, "Thou shalt not covet" targets exactly what this word describes — making "covetous" one of the few English words with its own commandment against it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of covetous
"Covetous" entered English from Old French "coveitous" (from the verb "coveitier," to desire), and traces back through Latin "cupidus" (eager, desirous) to "cupere" (to desire), the same root behind "cupidity" and "cupid." It has been part of English since medieval times, reinforced by Wycliffe's and later translators' rendering of the Tenth Commandment's prohibition on coveting.
Related word forms
How covetous is actually used
Formal to literary in register; strongly negative connotation, implying desire beyond what is proper or deserved. In religious contexts it carries moral weight, echoing the Tenth Commandment's prohibition on coveting.
Easily confused with covetous
"Coveted" describes the thing that is greatly desired (e.g. a coveted prize), while "covetous" describes the person doing the desiring.
"Cupidity" is a formal noun meaning greed for money or possessions; "covetous" is an adjective describing a person marked by such desire.