Synonym Chooser

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 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 No actor has played him with as much reptilian cruelty and covetous flair as Andrew Scott, either. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024 Though covetous of certain products, trends surrounding brands are often a flash in the pan, according to Casey Lewis, Gen Z consumer analyst and author of the viral After School newsletter. Bysasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2024 All regard Cuba with the covetous memories of former lovers—longing mingled with knowledge of the island’s practical side, its transactionalism. Jon Lee Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Dec. 2021 See All Example Sentences for covetous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for covetous
Adjective
  • Though one is a human innovation and the other hails from a distant world, neither would’ve posed a danger had greedy tech barons not released them from the Pandora’s box of scientific progress.
    Judy Berman, Time, 5 Aug. 2025
  • O’ahu, Maui, Kaua’i and the big island of Hawai’i were all joined by water but divided by greedy men, cunning chiefs and a cycle of endless combat.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • One of the youngest of the MacKenzie brood (and often seen with sister Janet), Jocasta Cameron is sometimes callously honest, perpetually jealous of the attention Ellen gets, and unhappily married to an old man.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Public spaces were designed to feel more intimate and cooler during what can be sunny and hot days. MASON, OH − Jansen Dell wants tennis facilities around the world to be jealous of the Cincinnati Open.
    Sydney Franklin, The Enquirer, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • After the first four episodes of the show’s new installment were released on Wednesday, Aug. 6, fans were eager to see the singer, 39, in her guest starring role.
    Liza Esquibias, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • It’s created a new market opportunity for brands eager to peddle protein-forward products to this growing demographic.
    Boutayna Chokrane, Wired News, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • When confronting the failures of corporate medicine, reversing the disastrous course of the mercenary business model built on the suffering of Americans requires a revolutionary approach.
    David Marks, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2025
  • In June 2023, Lukashenko presented himself as a peacemaker for helping to end an armed rebellion against Russian military generals led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the mercenary group Wagner.
    Amalia Huot-Marchand, The Hill, 8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Manipulating these obviously very greedy and avaricious [people] is still kind of beneath his skills.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The comedy-drama follows a Gen Z content creator who returns to her ancestral home seeking viral material, only to encounter her deceased brother’s ghost while dealing with avaricious relatives.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In some ways Starbucks created a high-end coffee market for the increasingly acquisitive population, but as opposed to capturing it all, the thousands and thousands of Starbucks stores on the mainland created the opportunity for others to profitably enter the market.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
  • While Waze once again doesn’t charge anyone for usage and directions, how people use it along with when and where people go with it is surely valuable to businesses eager to meet and lead the needs of an acquisitive public.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Covetous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/covetous. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

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