covetousness
/ˈkʌvətəsnəs/
covetousness · noun — immoderate desire for the possession of something, especially for wealth. It carries an Arena rating of 1326, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, covetousness ranks #2,089 of 17,130 for Most Ponderous Words, #2,498 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,961 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words, #5,377 of 17,171 for Scariest Words.
covetousness is pronounced /ˈkʌvətəsnəs/.
Why “covetousness” is a great word
COVETOUSNESS — [Noun] Immoderate or excessive desire, especially for wealth or possessions. From Middle English covetousnes, covetousnes, from covetous (from Old French coveitos, ultimately from Latin cupidus, "desiring, eager") + the noun-forming suffix -ness. Unlike "avarice," which is a cold, hoarding greed, or "envy," which is the hot resentment of another's fortune, covetousness is the foundational, ambient hunger for acquisition itself. It is the hand tracing the curve of a neighbor's new automobile, the hollow pang in a shop lined with unowned objects, the restless arithmetic of more—the engine of a wanting that defines its owner long before any possession ever could.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Middle English covatusnes, covetousnes, coveytousnesse; equivalent to covetous + -ness.
noun
- Immoderate desire for the possession of something, especially for wealth.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
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