covet

/'kʌvit/

Thân thiện

She covets her neighbor's new car.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To desire or wish for something, especially something that belongs to another person, with strong and often envious longing.

Usage

The verb "covet" is used to express an intense, often morally questionable, desire for something that one does not have, particularly when it is possessed by someone else. It implies a sense of envy and is frequently used in moral, religious, or legal contexts to warn against such desires. It is a transitive verb and requires a direct object.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "to covet after" (archaic/literary): To have a strong desire for something.
  • He coveted after power and influence.
• Used in formal or literary contexts to describe a powerful, sometimes obsessive, yearning.
  • The collector coveted the rare painting for his private gallery.

Variants and Related Words

• Covetous (adj): Having or showing a great desire to possess something, typically something belonging to someone else.
  • He cast a covetous glance at the jewels.
• Covetously (adv): In a covetous manner.
  • She looked covetously at the luxurious estate.
• Covetousness (n): The quality of being covetous; intense desire for another's possessions.
  • His covetousness led him to make poor decisions.

Synonyms

• Desire: To wish or long for.
• Crave: To want something very much.
• Yearn for: To have an intense feeling of longing for something.
• Envy: To desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable attribute belonging to someone else.

Antonyms

• Disdain: To consider unworthy of one's consideration.
• Renounce: To formally give up a claim or possession.
• Spurn: To reject with disdain or contempt.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence": This proverb relates to the concept of coveting, as it describes the human tendency to believe others' situations are better than one's own.
• "Covered by the Tenth Commandment": A reference to the biblical prohibition against coveting, often used to imply something is wrong to desire because it belongs to another.

Học thuật

Verb

1. wish, long, or crave for (something, especially the property of another person)
   • She covets her sister's house