Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Strong desire; eagerness.
- n. The character of being covetous, in an evil sense; a strong or inordinate desire of obtaining and possessing something, without regard to law or justice; overbearing avarice.
- n. Synonyms Avarice, Cupidity, etc. (see avarice), greediness, hankering.
Wiktionary
- n. Immoderate desire for the possession of something, especially for wealth.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. rare Strong desire.
- n. A strong or inordinate desire of obtaining and possessing some supposed good; excessive desire for riches or money; -- in a bad sense.
WordNet 3.0
- n. extreme greed for material wealth
- n. an envious eagerness to possess something
- n. reprehensible acquisitiveness; insatiable desire for wealth (personified as one of the deadly sins)
Etymologies
- covetous + -ness (Wiktionary)
Examples
“Here, as in Eph 5: 3, 5, "covetousness" is joined with "fornication": the common fount of both being "the fierce and ever fiercer longing of the creature, which has turned from God, to fill itself with the inferior objects of sense" [Trench, Greek Synonyms of the New Testament].”
“Everything you ever wanted could be yours so what was the point in covetousness?”
365 tomorrows » 2008 » February : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day
“I say, it is but a specimen or taste of those numerous, or rather innumerable instances which might be produced; two of which especially I had thought to have spoken something more fully to; namely, the calling covetousness, good husbandry; and prodigality, generosity.”
“Some lavish gold out of the bag to make an idol of it in the house, while others hoard up gold in the bag to make an idol of it in the heart; for covetousness is idolatry, as dangerous, though not as scandalous, as the other.”
“The heart must be kept pure from fleshly lusts, all unchaste thoughts and desires; and from worldly lusts; covetousness is called filthy lucre; from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, all that which come out of the heart, and defiles the man.”
“See what cruelty covetousness is the cause of, and what horrid practices those are often put upon that are greedy to enlarge their own border.”
“To speak plainly, does the root of all this lie in covetousness, which is idolatry, and do we seek not profit, but a gift.”
“And what these are he himself explains: "Fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence; and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus
“[3945] Matt.xix. 17, 18, etc. [3946] Harvey here remarks: "In a theological point of view, it should be observed, that no saving merit is ascribed to almsgiving: it is spoken of here as the negation of the vice of covetousness, which is wholly inconsistent with the state of salvation to which we are called.”
ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus
“¶ Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things 'sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: in the which ye also walked sometime, when ye lived in them.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘covetousness’.
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11250 more...
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Vices
Don't drink. Don't smoke. What do you do?
alcohol, tobacco, chocolate, anger, coffee, dancing, playing cards, gambling, blasphemy, pride, intoxicants, superbia and 16 more...
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newGRE
mostly from magoosh
imbue, verge on, nonchalant, deliberate, timorous, futile, provisional, dissect, checked, tinged, alluring, visionary and 1046 more...
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Vocab++
Words as I learn them.
fetid, mezzanine, hiatus, austerity, subliminal, resplendent, implacable, impugn, debase, exiguous, cirque, holster and 2538 more...
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Doctor Faustus
Various words from the play by Christopher Marlowe.
Good Angel, Bad Angel, pride, covetousness, envy, wrath, gluttony, sloth, lechery, vintner, horse-courser, Helen of Troy and 148 more...
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crystalsenterbrown's list
crepuscular, perspicacious, prestidigitation, prestidigitation, maudlin, pithy, agitprop, philistine, harridan, bon vivant, sub rosa, edacious and 35 more...
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Old School Commentators
synecdoche, hyperbole, thresh, contrite, hendiadys, condescension, contrition, yieldedness, propitiation, chiliastic, synecdochically, proselyte and 65 more...
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Greed
cupidity, avarice, esurience, rapacity, gulosity, pleonexia, voracious, hoggery, kleptocracy, covetousness, possessiveness
Tweets
Looking for tweets for covetousness.

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