Meanings
plural covetousnesses
- uncountableusuallyImmoderate desire for the possession of something, especially for wealth.
Covetousness prevents all good, and is and inlet and encouragement to evil.
1815, Samuel Lavington, Sermons and other discourses, Volume 13 more examples
He which will yield to Fear. muſt neceſſarily yield to Covetouſneſs or any inordinate Deſire.
1588, Jean La Placette, Of the Incurable Scepticism of the Church of RomeCovetouſneſs is the yelow Jaundice of the foul, which ariſes from the over-flowing of the heart with love to yellow gold, by which a Chriſtian is dull'd and deadned.
1661, J. Johnson, The morning-exercise at Cripple-gateIn obvious compensation and opposition the fear of nothingness becomes the source of covetousness...
1976, Jacques Ellul, The Ethics of Freedom, page 134
Synonyms & antonyms
nounreprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishcovatusnes
- Englishcovetousness
From Middle English covatusnes, covetousnes, coveytousnesse; equivalent to covetous + -ness.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Dutch begerigheid
- begerigheiddesire for the possession of something
Estonian ihalus
- ihalusdesire for the possession of something
Finnish ahneus, kateus
- ahneusdesire for the possession of something
- kateusdesire for the possession of something
French convoitise
- convoitisedesire for the possession of something
German Habsucht, Gier
- Habsuchtdesire for the possession of something
- Gierdesire for the possession of something
Irish antlás
- antlásdesire for the possession of something
Persian حرص
- حرص (hers)desire for the possession of something
Polish chciwość, pożądliwość
- chciwośćdesire for the possession of something
- pożądliwośćdesire for the possession of something
Portuguese avareza, cobiça
- avarezadesire for the possession of something
- cobiçadesire for the possession of something
Romanian poftă nemăsurată, râvnire excesivă
- poftă nemăsuratădesire for the possession of something
- râvnire excesivădesire for the possession of something
Spanish codicia
- codiciadesire for the possession of something
Swedish begärelse
- begärelsedesire for the possession of something
Cite this entry
covetousness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/covetousness
“covetousness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/covetousness. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “covetousness,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/covetousness.
Source: covetousness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.