envy
Americannoun
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a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.
- Synonyms:
- enviousness
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an object of such feeling.
Her intelligence made her the envy of her classmates.
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Obsolete. ill will.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
idioms
noun
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a feeling of grudging or somewhat admiring discontent aroused by the possessions, achievements, or qualities of another
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the desire to have for oneself something possessed by another; covetousness
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an object of envy
verb
Usage
What does envy mean? Envy is 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. Envy is very similar in meaning to jealousy. However, jealousy 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. Envy is also a verb meaning to have feelings of envy toward someone. It is always followed by the person or thing that’s envied, as in I must admit that I envy her talent. As a noun, it can also be used to refer to the object of envy, as in She was the envy of the entire office after getting the promotion. Someone who envies another person can be described as envious, as in I was envious of him and his popularity. Someone who’s very envious is said to be green with envy. Things that produce envy in others can be described as enviable, as in It’s an enviable position, with a lot of perks. Example: Other people’s perfectly curated social media feeds often cause us to feel envy, 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.
Commonly Confused
Envy and jealousy are very close in meaning. Envy denotes a longing to possess something awarded to or achieved by another: to feel envy when a friend inherits a fortune. Jealousy, on the other hand, denotes a feeling of resentment that another has gained something that one more rightfully deserves: to feel jealousy when a coworker receives a promotion. Jealousy also refers to anguish caused by fear of unfaithfulness.
Synonym Usage
Envy, begrudge, covet refer to one's attitude toward the possessions or attainments of others. To envy is to feel resentful and unhappy because someone else possesses, or has achieved, what one wishes oneself to possess, or to have achieved: to envy the wealthy, a woman's beauty, an honest man's reputation. To begrudge is to be unwilling that another should have the possessions, honors, or credit that person deserves: to begrudge a man a reward for heroism. To covet is to long jealously to possess what someone else possesses: I covet your silverware.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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envysimple
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enviessimple
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have enviedperfect
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has enviedperfect
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am envyingprogressive
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are envyingprogressive
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is envyingprogressive
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have been envyingperfect progressive
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has been envyingperfect progressive
Past
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enviedsimple
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had enviedperfect
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was envyingprogressive
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were envyingprogressive
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had been envyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of envy
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English noun envie, from Old French, from Latin invidia, equivalent to invid(us) “envious” (derivative of invidēre “to envy”) + -ia abstract noun suffix; verb derivative of the noun; see invidious, -y 3 ( def. )
Explanation
Wanting what someone else has and resenting them for having it is envy. If your best friend comes to school with the silver backpack you’d had your eye on all summer, you want to be happy for her, instead you feel bitter envy. Envy comes from the Latin word invidere, which literally means “look upon.” You know when you say something funny or smart and someone gives you the evil eye? Envy all the way. Envy can be used as a noun or as a verb: Envy (noun) is the feeling you have when you envy (verb) what someone else has.
Vocabulary lists containing envy
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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Common Senses: Vid, Vis ("See")
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"The Gift of the Magi"
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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.
See Examples For:
That leaves “Beef,” Lee Sung Jin’s anthology series about enmity, envy and the multiple ways that blood orange juice can be made, as the presumptive front-runner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Some disgruntled loved ones may feel abandoned or envy your decision.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Migrants to the North were first viewed with envy as they brought cash, clothes and home appliances from the country's capitalist neighbour to the south.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
Mr. Powell vigorously defended the central bank’s independence, displaying a backbone that members of the congressional majority can only envy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
And yet, she was the one with "non-stop boyfriends," her sisters joked, not without wonder and a little envy.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
If your social-worker friend envies your designer clothes, you don’t have to ditch your Prada for rags, but it’s probably better not to festoon your outfit with your biggest diamond.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
“Here is a woman who has never been particularly jealous of any other woman, realizing that she deeply envies this chair,” the film’s narrator, voiced by Melanie Griffith, says.
From Salon ● Feb. 18, 2026
He envies Robin Williams, whose comedy could cross not only ethnic, racial and religious divides but apparently even the species barrier, if the story told about the gorilla who knows sign language is true.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2023
In her weariness, Natalie actually envies Jackie — “Way to make everyone jealous of you one last time,” she says — who will not have to endure the rest of the winter.
From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2023
She would rather do the shopping, get exactly what she wants; she envies me the walk.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Hurley has long envied NFL coaches like Kyle Shanahan, who script every single action of their offenses with absurdly long play sheets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
But as people who shared the experience of being “mocked and feared, blamed and banished, envied and imitated,” often allied, sometimes antagonists, theirs is a special case.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026
Its comment brought into sharp focus the fact that Kenya risks losing its status as a democracy that many Tanzanians and Ugandans envied – and drew inspiration from.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2025
Entrepreneurs envied Cummings’ import success and wanted a piece of the action.
From Slate ● May 25, 2025
They did not have his shame and even this, too, he envied.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
It’s during the voice-over when Henry recalls as a boy envying the wiseguys who hung out at the pizza parlor and taxi stand across the street from his home.
From New York Times ● May 26, 2022
You mentioning Phil envying Peter because he’s so self-possessed reminded me of Peter’s white shoes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2021
She might be several years younger than Jo but is an educated adult woman, and envying her orphan cousin is morally repugnant.
From Slate ● May 5, 2021
Instead of envying parts of the country that will be legally allowed to mix on Christmas Day, she thought London’s Covid restrictions had been comparatively looser for the most part of the year.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 20, 2020
I remember the lean grace of his movements in a track suit and I remember envying his smooth and perfect timing.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" 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.
