covetous
/ˈkʌvətəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkʌvətəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkə-və-təs/ (ame, mw)
covetous — 形容詞
- covetouspositive
- more covetouscomparative
- most covetoussuperlative
1. feeling a very strong, often troubling desire for the money, possessions, or goo
貪婪；覬覦
對他人財物有強烈佔有慾
feeling a very strong, often troubling desire for the money, possessions, or good fortune that another person has, and wishing you had them yourself
Chen felt covetous of his neighbor's new car, even though his own was perfectly fine.
Chen 對鄰居的新車心懷覬覦，儘管他自己的車也完好無缺。
be covetous of [something]: pattern for expressing envy
The abandoned mansion attracted covetous developers who saw only its potential profit.
那棟廢棄的豪宅吸引了貪婪的建商，他們眼裡只有這棟房子能帶來多少利潤。
attributive use: covetous developers / covetous looks
Amina tried to hide her covetous glances at Nadia's diamond bracelet during dinner.
Amina 在晚餐時試圖掩飾她對 Nadia 的鑽石手鐲投去的貪婪目光。
The king's advisors grew rich and covetous, demanding more land with every season.
國王的謀士們變得既富裕又貪婪，每個季節都要求更多土地。
Diego's covetous nature made it hard for him to feel happy about his friends' achievements.
Diego 的貪婪本性讓他很難為朋友們的成就感到開心。
- greedy
broader — focuses on wanting more of anything (food, money), not necessarily what belongs to another; less formal than covetous
- envious
more emotional and less moral; describes the feeling of wanting what others have without the strong 'grasping' quality of covetous
- jealous
often includes fear of losing what you already have to a rival; can be romantic, while covetous is material
- acquisitive
more neutral and clinical; describes a person keen to acquire things without the moral judgment of covetous
文法句型
be covetous of [something]
covetous [noun]
用法筆記
Frequently used in formal or literary contexts. Strongly associated with the biblical commandment 'Thou shalt not covet,' giving the word a moral overtone that distinguishes it from more neutral words like 'envious.'