covet

covet 1 Covet, envy, grudge, begrudge though not closely synonymous all carry the implication of a selfish desire to have something for one's own enjoyment or possession.

To covet (for fuller treatment see DESIRE) is to long inordinately for something which belongs to another

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covet a neighbor's piece of property because of its fine view

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To envy is to regard another with more or less chagrin, repining, jealousy, or hatred because he possesses something one covets or feels should have come to oneself

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envy a person his good fortune or his promotion

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To grudge or begrudge implies reluctance or hesitation (often through selfishness, meanness, or stinginess) in giving another what he (or it) ought to have because it is his (or its) due or need

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surely you wouldn't grudge the poor old man some humble way to save his self-respect— Frost

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begrudges every penny he spends on taxis

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she grudges every moment spent on housekeeping chores

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2 crave, *desire, wish, want

Analogous words: yearn, *long, pine, hanker, thirst, hunger: pant, aspire, *aim

Antonyms: renounce (something desirable)

Contrasted words: resign, *relinquish, yield, surrender: *abjure, forswear: *decline, refuse, reject