emulous

American  

[em-yuh-luhs] / ˈɛm yə ləs /

adjective

1. desirous of equaling or excelling; filled with emulation.

   boys emulous of their fathers.

2. arising from or of the nature of emulation, as actions or attitudes.

3. Obsolete. jealous; envious.

---

emulous British  

/ ˈɛmjʊləs /

adjective

1. desiring or aiming to equal or surpass another; competitive

2. characterized by or arising from emulation or imitation

3. archaic envious or jealous

---

Other Word Forms

• emulously
  adverb
• emulousness
  noun
• nonemulous
  adjective
• nonemulously
  adverb
• nonemulousness
  noun
• unemulous
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of emulous

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin aemulus “vying with”; see -ulous

Explanation

Use the adjective emulous to describe someone who tries to imitate or copy another person. An emulous student might both admire and feel jealous of the teacher he imitates. When you're emulous of a friend, you feel a bit competitive, wanting to do what she does, and to do it better. Younger siblings are sometimes emulous of older brothers or sisters, and art school students might be emulous of established, working artists. When you want to be just like someone, you're emulous, and when you want to surpass that person, you're also emulous. The Latin root is aemulari, "to rival."

Example Sentences

Cultivator of the gardens of the mind, himself the very bud and bloom of humanistic learning, he follows Socrates in having taken as his modus operandi the emulous pursuit of all that is most excellent.

From Time Magazine Archive

C. With emulous brightness through the clear blue Heaven.

From The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth, Volume IV (of 8) by Wordsworth, William

It drew together a very large number of young men emulous of these things; and few foreigners of culture came to Venice without seeking to be admitted to its sessions.

From The Memoirs of Count Carlo Gozzi Volume the Second by Gozzi, Count Carlo

Ludolf was a swaggering bravo, emulous, at middle age, of the vices of profligate youth.

From Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. 22, March, 1852, Volume 4. by

I would have you, as now, emulous of superior acquirements; but, at the same time, aware, that in this emulation there would be no jealousy or unkind feelings.

From The Boys' And Girls' Library by Various