Quick Definition
ἐπιθυμέω v. I long for, covet, lust after
Strong's Definition
from 1909 and 2372; to set the heart upon, i.e. long for (rightfully or otherwise)
KJV Usage: covet, desire, would fain, lust (after)
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἐπιθυμέω, -ὦ ; [impf. ἐπεθύμουν ; fut. ἐπιθυμήσω ; 1 aor. ἐπεθύμησα; (θυμός); fr. Aeschyl. down; Sept. for 738 and 12m; prop. to keep the θυμός turned upon a thing, hence [cf. our to set one’s heart upon] to have a desire for, long for; absol. to desire [A. V. lust], Jas. iv. 2; to lust after, covet, of those who seek things forbidden, Ro. vii. 7; xiii. 9 (fr. Ex. xx. 17); 1 Co. x. 6, (4 Mace. ii. 6); κατά Twos, to have desires opposed to [A.V. lust against] a thing, Gal. v. 17 [B. 335 (288)]; τινός, to long for, covet a thing, Acts xx. 33; 1 Tim. iii. 1; of sexual desire, γυναικός, Mt. v. 28 Ree. [see below] (παιδὸς ἢ γυναικός, Xen. an. 4, 1, 14; with the gen. also in Ex. xxxiv. 24; Proy. xxi. 26; xxiii. 3,6; Sap. vi.12; Sir. xxiv. 19 (18), etc.) ; contrary to the usage of the better Grk. writ. with the ace. of the object, Mt. v. 28 L Tr (WH br.), and without an obj. Tdf. (Ex. xx. 17; Deut.v. 21; Mie. ii. 2; Sap. xvi. 3; Sir. i. 26 (23), ete.; ef. W. § 30, 10b.); as often in Grk. writ., foll. by the inf.: Mt. xiii. 17; Lk. xv. 16; [xvi. 21]; xvii. 22; 1 Pet. i. 12; Rev. ix. 6; foll. by the ace. with the inf. Heb. vi. 11; ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἐπεθύμησα I have greatly desired, Lk. xxii. 15; οἵ. W. § 54, 3; B. § 133, 22.4.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἐπιθυμέω epithumeō 16x
with the gen. or acc., to set the heart upon; to desire, long for, have earnest desire, Mt. 13:17; Lk. 15:16; to lust after, Mt. 5:28; spc. to covet, Rom. 13:9
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
ἐπιθυμέω, -ῶ
(< θυμός), [in LXX chiefly for אָוָה pi., hithp.; also for חָמַד, etc. ;]
to set one's heart upon, desire, lust after, covet: absol., Ja 4:2, Ro 7:7 13:9 (LXX), I Co 10:6 (of. IV Mac 2:6); seq. κατά (against, in opposition to), Ga 5:17; prop. (as in cl.) c. gen., Ac 20:33, I Ti 3:1; in late Gk. also c. acc (M, Pr., 65), Mt 5:28 (Rec. αὐτῆς; T omits; cf. Ex 20:17, Mi 2:2, Wi 16:3, al.); c. inf., Mt 13:17, Lk 15:16 16:21 17:22, I Pe 1:12, Re 9:6; c. acc et inf., He 6:11; as in Hebrew, ἐπιθυμία ἐπεθύμησα, Lk 22:15.†
SYN.: ὀρέγω (cf. Field, Notes, 204), θέλω (DCG. i, 453a)
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἐπιθυμέω. For the late acc. constr. with this verb, as in Mt 57° BD, cf. the Hadrumetum Memorial of iii/A.p., reproduced in BS, p: 274 ff.“ μηδεμίαν ἄλλη[ν] γυναῖκα μήτε παρθένον ἐπιθυμotvra. In P Lond 897 (a.p. 84) (ΞΞ 111. p. 207) after the closing word of ]. 325 the following words have been written and struck out— -. pe. . ce ovK ἐπιθυμῶι εἰς᾿Αρσινοΐτην 7. Other exx. of the verb are BGU I. 248" (ii/a.p.) ὧν oa βούλεθαι (1 κοινῆσαι βούλεται) Kal αὐτὸν €[. Ve Galfedls ἀσπάζομαί σε, μῆτερ, διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων rap ἜΡΙΣ: οὖσα ἤδη θεάσασθαι, and from the inscrr. Sy// 226106 (iii/s. C.) πρὸς δὲ τούτοις Θισαμάτας καὶ Σκύθας καὶ Σαυδαράτας ἐπιθυμεῖν τοῦ ὀχυρώματος (‘‘ fortress”), ΟΟ75 764)° (ii/B.c.) τοῖς ἄλλοις ἄρχουσιν πᾶ]σιν καὶ Ῥωμαίων τοῖς ἐπιθυμοῦσιν καὶ τοῖς ἐλευθέροις παισίν.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἐπιθυμέω (epithumeō) — to long for. ἐπιθῡμ-έω, set one's heart upon a thing, long for, covet, desire, with genitive of things, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of political attachments, τῶν ἡμετέρων πολεμίων 5th-6th c.BC: Andocides Orator 4.28; ὀλιγαρχίας 5th c.BC: Lysias Orator 20.3: with infinitive, desire to do, πλῶσαι 5th c.BC: Herodotus Historicus 1.24; ἀπικνέεσθαι[Refs 5th c.BC+]: absolutely, desire, covet, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ ἐπιθυμοῦν τοῦ πλοῦ, ={ἐπιθυμία}, eagerness for it, [Refs]:—passive, to be desired, τὰ ἐπιθυμούμενα 5th-6th c.BC: Plato Philosophus “Philebus” 35d.