觎 (yú) - To covet & to desire something that belongs to someone else

觎Tone 2

yú ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

咏与

觎 · yú

To covet;

to desire something that belongs to someone else;

to have ambitious designs.

To covetto desire something that belongs to someone elseto have ambitious designs.

Usage highlights

To covet the throneTo have designs on territoryTo covet wealthTo desire powerTo covet propertyTo have ambitious designs

Synonyms

  • 觊觎— To covet; to have designs on
  • 贪图— To covet; to seek improperly
  • 垂涎— To drool over; to covet

Antonyms

  • 满足— To be content; satisfied
  • 知足— To know contentment
  • 放弃— To give up; relinquish

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He coveted the throne (觊觎王位).
  • They have designs on our territory (觊觎我们的领土).
  • She coveted her neighbor's property (觊觎邻居的财产).
  • The enemy coveted our resources (敌人觊觎我们的资源).

Collocations

  • To covet the throne(觊觎王位)
  • To have designs on territory(觊觎领土)
  • To covet wealth(觊觎财富)
  • To desire power(觊觎权力)
  • To covet property(觊觎财产)
  • To have ambitious designs(觊觎之心)

Idioms

  • To harbor wild ambitions(觊觎之志)
  • To cast greedy eyes upon(觊觎已久)
  • To have designs on something(心存觊觎)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 觎 carries a negative connotation of improper or excessive desire for what belongs to others.
  • It is almost exclusively used in the compound word 觊觎 (jì yú), meaning 'to covet' or 'to cast greedy eyes on'.
  • In classical texts, it often appears in contexts warning against ambition for power or wealth that rightfully belongs to another.

FAQ