adjective
Usage
What does envious mean? Envious means feeling, full of, or expressing envy—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. Envious is very similar in meaning to jealous. However, jealous 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. Envious is often followed by the word of and the person or thing that’s the object of envy, as in I must admit that I’m envious of her talent. Example: Other people’s perfectly curated social media feeds often cause us to feel envious, 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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of envious
1250–1300; Middle English < Anglo-French; Old French envieus < Latin invidiōsus invidious
Explanation
Envious is another way to say jealous or resentful — in other words, you want what someone else has, whether it's charming good looks or the last chocolate frosted donut. Once upon a time, envious meant “eager to emulate.” Now a days this adjective is used to describe covetous feelings or a state of painful desire. Envious usually isn't a good thing to be; it's better to let it go and be happy with what you've got. Just remember the words of the wise Greek philosopher Antisthenes: "As iron is eaten away by rust, so the envious are consumed by their own passion."
Vocabulary lists containing envious
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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List 14
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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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.
Lately, my spouse has mentioned feeling a little resentful and envious of my situation.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
She has undergone similar training several times -- and said the lessons helped her confidence -- but noted she was "so envious of young people who can do all this so easily".
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
The family plans to catch Pearce’s Los Angeles show in the fall, this time with a group of friends who were envious after seeing Zappia’s Instagram posts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
In the second letter, signed “always,” Harp describes being envious of people “whose only ‘job’ seems to be to talk with you, and look pretty,” adding “I want that job!!”
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2026
The one thing that may not be forgiven a witch is her ability to distress people, to make them restless and uneasy and even envious.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
