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envy
[ en-vee ]
noun
- a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.
Synonyms:
- an object of such feeling:
Her intelligence made her the envy of her classmates.
- Obsolete. ill will.
verb (used with object)
- to regard (a person or thing) with envy:
She envies you for your success.
I envy your writing ability.
He envies her the position she has achieved in her profession.
Synonyms:
verb (used without object)
- Obsolete. to be affected with envy.
envy
/ ˈɛԱɪ /
noun
- a feeling of grudging or somewhat admiring discontent aroused by the possessions, achievements, or qualities of another
- the desire to have for oneself something possessed by another; covetousness
- an object of envy
verb
- to be envious of (a person or thing)
Confusables Note
Derived Forms
- ˈԱ⾱Բ, adverb
- ˈԱ, noun
Other 51Թ Forms
- ··Բ· adverb
- ܲ·· adjective
- ܲ···Բ adjective
- un···Բ· adverb
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of envy1
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of envy1
Idioms and Phrases
- green with envy, full of envy; covetous:
When my friends saw the enormous rock on my engagement ring, they were all green with envy.
More idioms and phrases containing envy
see green with envy .Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Our universities are the envy of the world.
We have little sympathy for its ideological content, yet we can’t help but envy how the Right has spent decades building an alternative media sphere — one with many strengths the Left lacks.
During the years of our supposed economic captivity, the American economy became the “envy of the world.”
But for that wonderful March day - and the weeks that followed - Welsh rugby was the envy of the world.
Wealth has a way of sorting relationships when one friend's opulence brings out lustful envy in the others, the deadly sins most likely to drive daggers into the gut of any platonic bond.
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Related 51Թs
More About Envy
What doesenvy mean?
Envy is a mostly negative feeling of desire for something that someone else has and you do not.
Envy is not a good feeling—it can be described as a mix of admiration and discontent. But it’s not necessarily malicious. Envy is very similar in meaning to jealousy. However, jealousy usually implies a deeper resentment, perhaps because you feel that you deserve the thing more than the other person, or that it is unfair that they have it.
Envy is also a verb meaning to have feelings of envy toward someone. It is always followed by the person or thing that’s envied, as in I must admit that I envy her talent.
As a noun, it can also be used to refer to the object of envy, as in She was the envy of the entire office after getting the promotion.
Someone who envies another person can be described as envious, as in I was envious of him and his popularity. Someone who’s very envious is said to be green with envy. Things that produce envy in others can be described as enviable, as in It’s an enviable position, with a lot of perks.
Example: Other people’s perfectly curated social media feeds often cause us to feel envy, but we need to keep in mind that they don’t show the whole story of what someone’s life is like—only the highlights.
Where doesenvy come from?
The first records of the word envy come from the 1200s. It comes from the Latin invidia, a derivative of the Latin verb Աŧ, meaning “to envy” or, more poetically, “to eye maliciously.”
Being full of envy often involves eyeing up other people’s qualities or possessions, especially when they are better or more plentiful than the ones you have. Envy is one of the so-called seven deadly sins and has long been considered one of the vices that can lead people to do bad things. Still, most people are thought to experience envy at one time or another. Envy can lead to bitterness, but it doesn’t have to. You can be envious of your friend’s success and still be happy for them. When you stop being happy for them and start to resent them for it, that’s jealousy.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to envy?
- envious (adjective)
- enviousness (noun)
- enviable (adjective)
- envyingly (adverb)
- unenvied (adjective)
- unenvying (adjective)
- unenvyingly (adverb)
What are some synonyms for envy?
- enviousness
- covetousness
What are some words that share a root or word element with envy?
What are some words that often get used in discussing envy?
What are some words envy may be commonly confused with?
How isenvy used in real life?
Most people feelenvy occasionally, but they usually only admit it when it’s not so serious.
Serious envy for future generations who would have the option of just …. turning them off.
— Tanya 😷 (@HotDamnTee)
While you can't control when you feel envy, you can choose whether to feel shameful about it or not.
— Harvard Business Review (@HarvardBiz)
surround yourself by people who are happy for you & support you & love you & who don’t envy you.
— angela🌹 (@angelaasalazarr)
Try usingenvy!
Is envy used correctly in the following sentence?
All the other interns envied me because I was the only one who got my own desk.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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