To covet means to want something that belongs to someone else, often with an intense, envious longing. When you covet your friend's new bicycle, you don't just think it's nice; you wish it were yours instead of theirs. When a student covets another's art supplies, test score, or spot on the team, they're feeling a strong desire mixed with envy.

The word captures the difference between admiring something and coveting it. Admiring your neighbor's garden means appreciating its beauty. Coveting it means wishing you had their garden instead, perhaps even resenting that they have it.

Coveted as an adjective describes something many people desire intensely. A coveted award is one everyone wants to win. A coveted position on the soccer team is one that many players compete for. The student council presidency might be a coveted role at school.