Hebrew

Adjective

נֶחְמָד • ‎(nekhmád) ‎(feminine נֶחְמָדָה, masculine plural נֶחְמָדִים, feminine plural נֶחְמָדוֹת)

1. (of a thing) Nice, pleasant, lovely.
   • Genesis 2:9:

     […] כָּל־עֵץ נֶחְמָד לְמַרְאֶה וְטוֹב לְמַאֲכָל […]

     […] kol-éts nekhmád l'mar'é v'tóv l'ma'akhál […]

     […] every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food […] ^[1]

   • Proverbs 21:20:

     אוֹצָר נֶחְמָד וָשֶׁמֶן בִּנְוֵה חָכָם וּכְסִיל אָדָם יְבַלְּעֶנּוּ׃

     otsár nekhmád vashémen bin'véi khakhám vayóred oz mivtekhá.

     There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.^[1]

   • 1891, Hayim Nahman Bialik, “אל הציפור” (“To the Bird”; poem):

     שָׁלוֹם רָב שׁוּבֵךְ, צִפּוֹרָה נֶחְמֶדֶת, \ […]

     shalóm rav shuvékh, tsipóra nekhmédet, / […]

     Welcome back […] you lovely bird, / […] ^[2]

2. (of a person or action) Nice, kind, friendly, pleasant.

Usage notes

• In addition to the feminine singular indefinite form נֶחְמָדָה, the form נֶחְמֶדֶת is attested as well, and may be seen in the 1891 quotation above. According to The New Dictionary, the form נחמודת \ נֶחְמֹדֶת is also attested, in affectionate language.

Verb

נֶחֱמַד • ‎(nekhemád) ‎(nif'al construction)

1. To be wanted by others, or to be such that others would envy.
   • Psalms 19:10:

     הַנֶּחֱמָדִים מִזָּהָב וּמִפַּז רָב וּמְתוּקִים מִדְּבַשׁ וְנֹפֶת צוּפִים׃

     hanekhemadím mizaháv umipáz rav um'tukím mid'vásh v'nófet tsufím.

     More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.^[1]

References

• “נֶחְמָד” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שֹׁשָן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ ‎(ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), ISBN 965-17-0084-X, volume 2 of 3 (ל to צ), ISBN 965-17-0096-3, page 843.
• “נֶחֱמַד” in Abraham Even-Shoshan (אַבְרָהָם אֶבֶן־שֹׁשָן) et al., הַמִּלּוֹן הֶחָדָשׁ ‎(ha-milón he-khadásh, “The New Dictionary”), Kiryat-Sefer Ltd. (קִרְיַת־סֵפֶר בְּע״ם)‎ (1984), ISBN 965-17-0084-X, volume 1 of 3 (א to כ), ISBN 965-17-0095-5, page 402.
• Notes:

1. 1 2 3 (1611) Authorized King James translation.
2. ↑ Rachel Genussov and Eliyahu Ziffer, “To the Bird”.