Definition: covetous
covetous
adj 1: showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's
advantages; "he was never covetous before he met her";
"jealous of his success and covetous of his
possessions"; "envious of their art collection"; "he
was green with envy" [syn: envious, jealous, green]
2: immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth; "they are
avaricious and will do anything for money"; "casting
covetous eyes on his neighbor's fields"; "a grasping old
miser"; "grasping commercialism"; "greedy for money and
power"; "grew richer and greedier"; "prehensile employers
stingy with raises for their employees" [syn: avaricious,
grabby, grasping, greedy, prehensile]
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Covetous \Cov"et*ous\ (k?v"?t-?s), a. [OF. coveitos, F. convoiteux. See Covet, v. t.] 1. Very desirous; eager to obtain; -- used in a good sense. [Archaic] Covetous of wisdom and fair virtue. --Shak. Covetous death bereaved us all, To aggrandize one funeral. --Emerson. 2. Inordinately desirous; excessively eager to obtain and possess (esp. money); avaricious; -- in a bad sense. The covetous person lives as if the world were madealtogether for him, and not he for the world. --South. Syn: Avaricious; parsimonious; penurious; misrely; niggardly. See Avaricious.
