adjective
-
desiring or aiming to equal or surpass another; competitive
-
characterized by or arising from emulation or imitation
-
archaic envious or jealous
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing emulous
Jane Eyre
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Oedipus the King
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Wuthering Heights
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
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
A babel of oaths and sporting outcries shook the place, pierced from the street without by the strains of an emulous organ-grinder jocularly jerking out the tango.
From "Persons Unknown" by Virginia Tracy
Fired by this hope I hurried back to my carriage, preceded at an emulous gallop by the officials.
From Further Experiences of an Irish R.M. by Martin Ross
Every young divinity-student, especially, seems emulous of this troublesome appendage.
From The American Gentleman's Guide to Politeness and Fashion or, Familiar Letters to his Nephews by Henry Lunettes
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.
