Covets

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have an intense desire for something that belongs to someone else | To yearn for the possessions or qualities of another person | To wish eagerly for something that is not one's own
2. To experience a strong longing for someone else's possessions or traits
3. To deeply desire what another individual has, often feeling jealousy

Etymology: This verb traces back to the Latin word "cupiditas," meaning "desire" or "longing," which itself derives from "cupere," meaning "to desire" or "to long for." The root captures a strong sense of wanting something that belongs to someone else, often with a hint of envy or greed. This sense of yearning beyond mere liking has remained central to the word’s meaning. The journey into English began in the medieval period, where the Old French verb "coveitier" carried the meaning of yearning or desiring eagerly. The English form emerged by the late Middle Ages, around the 14th century, retaining its focus on intense desire, particularly for possessions or status that one does not have. Its most famous literary appearance may be in the biblical commandment "Thou shalt not covet," highlighting its moral weight as a sin of envy and wrongful desire. This religious context has helped preserve the word’s association with wrongful or excessive longing. Over time, the word has consistently conveyed a sense of wanting something deeply, often with an implication that this desire is inappropriate or unethical. Unlike more neutral terms for desire, this one carries a shadow of moral judgment, linking it tightly to human emotions of envy and greed.

Synonyms: desires, craves, yearns, longs for, envies

Antonyms: rejects, disdains, despises, abjures, scorns