envious

American  

[en-vee-uhs] / ˈɛn vi əs /

adjective

1. full of, feeling, or expressing envy.

   envious of a person's success; an envious attack.

   Synonyms:

   covetous, jealous, resentful

2. Archaic.

   1. emulous.

   2. enviable.

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envious British  

/ ˈɛnvɪəs /

adjective

1. feeling, showing, or resulting from envy

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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

• enviously adverb
• enviousness noun
• nonenvious adjective
• nonenviously adverb
• nonenviousness noun
• overenvious adjective
• overenviously adverb
• overenviousness noun
• quasi-envious adjective
• quasi-enviously adverb
• unenvious adjective
• unenviously adverb

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."

Example Sentences

This top-down control over urban development has drawn both envious admiration and criticism.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

When I see my girlfriend devour books faster than the popcorn she keeps within arm’s reach, I feel guilty — and envious.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026

Liu cast an envious eye toward Trump’s ability to make the world shudder over U.S. tariffs, which he said was the result of dollar-wielding American consumers’ buying power.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

If you’ve seen the movie, you know precisely what this refers to; if you haven’t, I’m envious that you get to experience the scene in question for the first time.

From Salon • Dec. 14, 2025

But then again, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little envious of her.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

Related Words

• distrustful
• greedy
• suspicious
• watchful