envious
EN-vee-us
/ˈɛn.vi.əs/
Feeling or showing discontented or longing desires aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck.
Focuses strictly on wishing you had what another person possesses, without necessarily feeling malice toward them.
The story behind the word. Traces back to Latin invidia, derived from invidere ('to look upon maliciously'). Ancient Roman folk beliefs attributed crop failures and sudden sicknesses to the 'evil eye' cast by neighbors who looked too closely at another's abundance.
Word relationships
- covetous: Covetous implies a much stronger, often grasping or immoral craving for another's property.
- jealous: Jealous often involves fear of losing something you already claim as your own.
- content: Content describes being satisfied with one's own current circumstances.
- generous: Generous implies delighting in giving to others rather than wanting what they have.
Commonly confused with
- jealous: Envious means wanting what someone else has; jealous means guarding what you have from being taken.
Word family
- envy (noun): A feeling of discontented longing for another's advantages.
- envy (verb): To desire the possessions or qualities of another.
- enviously (adverb): In an envious manner.
Collocations
- envious of
- envious glance
- deeply envious
- envious eyes
Idioms & expressions
- green with envy
Example sentences
- "She felt envious of her sister's effortless musical talent." Literary baseline
- "The poor man was envious of the rich man's garden, wishing his own barren soil could bloom so brightly." Published narrative
Memory hook
Think of staring into an ENVelope containing someone else's winning lottery ticket—you are ENVious of their win. ENVy looks in wardly with longing at someone else's win.
When not to use
Do not use when describing a protective fear of losing your own romantic partner or status; use jealous instead.
Fun facts
- In medieval Christian theology, envy was listed as one of the Seven Deadly Sins because it was viewed as grief over another's good fortune.
Related words
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