covet
v. C1 Advanced US //ˈkəvət// UK //kˈʌvɪt// cov·et
v. to want something very much, especially something that belongs to someone else. You use this when you are jealous of what another person has.
v. to desire something intensely, especially something that belongs to another person. Often carries a connotation of envy or a sense of moral wrong.
She covets the new car her neighbor bought last week.
He has always envied his brother's success and secretly covets his high-paying job.
The protagonist's life is defined by a constant desire to covet what others possess, leading to a deep sense of dissatisfaction and isolation.
From Middle English coveten, coveiten, coveyten, from Old French covoitier (modern French convoiter), from covoitié (“desire”), presumably modified from Latin cupiditas.