jealous
JEL-us
/ˈdʒɛl.əs/
Feeling or showing suspicion or fear of rivalry, particularly regarding personal relationships or achievements.
Carries a protective, suspicious edge rooted in the fear that a rival will usurp your place or take what is yours.
The story behind the word. Originates from Greek zelos ('zeal, fervor, emulation'). It passed through Late Latin zelosus into Old French gelos before entering Middle English. Over time, the fervent devotion implied by zeal morphed into an anxious, suspicious guarding of one's love or property.
Word relationships
- possessive: Possessive emphasizes controlling behavior to keep something to oneself.
- envious: Envious focuses on wishing to acquire another's goods, not protecting one's own.
- trusting: Trusting implies confidence in others without fear of betrayal.
- secure: Secure means feeling safe from threats of rivalry or loss.
Commonly confused with
- zealous: Zealous means filled with enthusiastic fervor, despite sharing the same ancient Greek root.
Word family
- jealousy (noun): The state or feeling of being jealous.
- jealously (adverb): In a jealous or vigilantly protective manner.
Collocations
- jealous husband
- jealous lover
- fiercely jealous
- jealous guard
Idioms & expressions
- jealous streak
- green-eyed monster
Example sentences
- "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey'd monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on." Classic drama quote
- "He grew jealous whenever his best friend spent time with the new transfer student." Personal dynamics
Memory hook
JEALous people worry that someone will steal their JEWELs. JEALous guards the JEWELs it already owns.
When not to use
Avoid when you simply admire someone's new car or vacation without any fear of loss or threat; use envious.
Fun facts
- In the 16th century, 'jealous' was frequently used positively to mean 'vigilantly protective', as in 'a knight jealous of his honor'.
Related words
Explore more words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.