COVETOUS Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'covetous' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of covetous are acquisitive , avaricious , grasping , and greedy . While all these words mean "having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions," covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions. // covetous of his brother's country estate

Q: Where would 'acquisitive' be a reasonable alternative to 'covetous'?

The meanings of acquisitive and covetous largely overlap; however, acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep. // an eagerly acquisitive mind

Q: In what contexts can 'avaricious' take the place of 'covetous'?

The words avaricious and covetous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess. // an avaricious miser

Q: How is 'grasping' related to other words for 'covetous'?

Grasping adds to covetous and greedy an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means. // a hard grasping businesswoman who cheated her associates

Q: When is it sensible to use 'greedy' instead of 'covetous'?

The synonyms greedy and covetous are sometimes interchangeable, but greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire. // greedy for status symbols

covetous

adjective

ˈkə-və-təs

Definition of covetous

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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How does the adjective covetous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of covetous are acquisitive, avaricious, grasping, and greedy. While all these words mean "having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions," covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

covetous of his brother's country estate

Where would acquisitive be a reasonable alternative to covetous?

The meanings of acquisitive and covetous largely overlap; however, acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep.

an eagerly acquisitive mind

In what contexts can avaricious take the place of covetous?

The words avaricious and covetous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

an avaricious miser

How is grasping related to other words for covetous?

Grasping adds to covetous and greedy an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means.

a hard grasping businesswoman who cheated her associates

When is it sensible to use greedy instead of covetous?

The synonyms greedy and covetous are sometimes interchangeable, but greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire.

greedy for status symbols

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of covetous His approach, on and off the pitch, has had a transformative effect and as Palace seek to secure him on a new contract, there have been covetous glances cast in his direction from clubs in the German Bundesliga. — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 24 Apr. 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

Through its own websites, the mysterious group has been portraying itself as vigilantes out to rein in greedy video game developers.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
One of Nader’s grandsons, Shah Rukh, was tortured by a greedy court eunuch named Agha Muhammad to force him to reveal the location of the invaluable diamond.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of greedy

Adjective

Hate him, despise him, be jealous of his wealth, but support his efforts to destroy Iran and hopefully end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Nice people may of course become irritated, disappointed, jealous, or defensive, since niceness does not require sainthood.

— Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of jealous

Adjective

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
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

Definition of avaricious

Adjective

Netflix has worked assiduously to burnish its reputation as a home for advertisers seeking to align themselves with its popular programs and eager to avoid the traditional model of deploying typical 30-second commercials.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars invested into their respective football teams by eager boosters, both SMU and Texas Tech have jumped ahead of everyone else in this state for the best view of UT and A&M’s backsides.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of eager

Adjective

But for an acquisitive current occupant of the White House, the oldest continuously active musical organization hasn’t seemed enough.

— Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
All this acquisitive activity has turned the majority of physicians into employees rather than independent operators.

— Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026

Definition of acquisitive

Adjective

However, the calculation changes if Apple sends you a mercenary spyware notification.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Lee joins after inking a deal to star in Tygo, a Korean-language entry in the franchise centered on his former child soldier turned mercenary, which is in post-production.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of mercenary

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covetous

covetousness

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“Covetous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covetous. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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