covet
/ˈkʌvɪt/verb
covet is spelled C-O-V-E-T: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,176th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, covet means “To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession of, often enviously” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in covet?
| Letters | 5: C-O-V-E-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 36,176th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is covet?
Covet appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,176th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce covet?
- /ˈkʌvɪt/
Covet has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-covet.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of covet
- covets present, singular, he/she/it
- coveting participle, present
- coveted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does covet mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession of, often enviously.
- 2
To long for inordinately or unlawfully; to hanker after (something forbidden).
- 3
To yearn; to have or indulge an inordinate desire, especially for another's possession.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Covet in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | convoiter, désirer , guigner |
| German | begehren , sehnen |
| Portuguese | desejar, cobiçar |
| Spanish | codiciar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does covet come from?
From Middle English coveten, coveiten, coveyten, from Old French covoitier (modern French convoiter), from covoitié (“desire”), presumably modified from Latin cupiditas.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).