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
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!
List 14
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!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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.
Lately, my spouse has mentioned feeling a little resentful and envious of my situation.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
“And around Europe, the supporters are a little bit envious that we don’t have it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
And in May 2025 Trump sounded more than a little envious of his Arab hosts as he praised the marble of Qatar's royal palace as "perfecto" and marvelled at Saudi Arabia's architecture.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
He was particularly envious of sports pundit Stephen A. Smith who has had a recurring role on “General Hospital,” playing a shady figure known only as “Brick.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
I show her the scims, and she is appropriately envious.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
