envy
VIDEO FOR ENVY
Who Invented The 7 Deadly Sins?
Do you know where the seven deadly sins came from ... and what they mean?
Idioms about envy
Origin of envy
synonym study for envy
words often confused with envy
historical usage of envy
Latin invidia is a derivative of the verb invidēre “to look askance at, regard with ill will, be jealous of, cast the evil eye on.” Invidēre is a compound of the preposition and prefix in, in- “in, into, at” and the simple verb vidēre “to see.”
OTHER WORDS FROM envy
en·vy·ing·ly, adverbun·en·vied, adjectiveun·en·vy·ing, adjectiveun·en·vy·ing·ly, adverbWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH envy
envy , jealousy (see confusables note at the current entry)Words nearby envy
MORE ABOUT ENVY
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.
Where does envy come from?
The first records of the word envy come from the 1200s. It comes from the Latin invidia, a derivative of the Latin verb invidēre, meaning “to envy” or, more poetically, “to eye maliciously.”
Being full of envy often involves eyeing up other people’s qualities or possessions, especially when they are better or more plentiful than the ones you have. Envy is one of the so-called seven deadly sins and has long been considered one of the vices that can lead people to do bad things. Still, most people are thought to experience envy at one time or another. Envy can lead to bitterness, but it doesn’t have to. You can be envious of your friend’s success and still be happy for them. When you stop being happy for them and start to resent them for it, that’s jealousy.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to envy?
- envious (adjective)
- enviousness (noun)
- enviable (adjective)
- envyingly (adverb)
- unenvied (adjective)
- unenvying (adjective)
- unenvyingly (adverb)
What are some synonyms for envy?
- enviousness
- covetousness
What are some words that share a root or word element with envy?
What are some words that often get used in discussing envy?
What are some words envy may be commonly confused with?
How is envy used in real life?
Most people feel envy occasionally, but they usually only admit it when it’s not so serious.
Serious envy for future generations who would have the option of just …. turning them off. https://t.co/0rouvMSBGq
— Tanya 😷 (@HotDamnTee) July 17, 2020
While you can't control when you feel envy, you can choose whether to feel shameful about it or not. https://t.co/bVnkjWtMe9
— Harvard Business Review (@HarvardBiz) June 17, 2020
surround yourself by people who are happy for you & support you & love you & who don’t envy you.
— angela🌹 (@angelaasalazarr) July 21, 2020
Try using envy!
Is envy used correctly in the following sentence?
All the other interns envied me because I was the only one who got my own desk.
How to use envy in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for envy
Derived forms of envy
envier, nounenvyingly, adverbWord Origin for envy
Other Idioms and Phrases with envy
see green with envy.