envy
a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.
an object of such feeling: Her intelligence made her the envy of her classmates.
Obsolete. ill will.
to regard (a person or thing) with envy: She envies you for your success.I envy your writing ability.He envies her the position she has achieved in her profession.
Obsolete. to be affected with envy.
Idioms about envy
green with envy, full of envy; covetous: When my friends saw the enormous rock on my engagement ring, they were all green with envy.
Origin of envy
1synonym study For envy
confusables note For envy
word story For 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 for envy
Other words from envy
- en·vy·ing·ly, adverb
- un·en·vied, adjective
- un·en·vy·ing, adjective
- un·en·vy·ing·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with envy
- envy , jealousy (see confusables note at the current entry)
Words Nearby envy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use envy in a sentence
Attempts to promote new fashions, harness the “propulsive power of envy,” and boost sales multiplied in Britain in the late 18th century.
“We are committed to making our rail operations control center a safety standard-bearer and envy of the transit industry,” Wiedefeld said.
Metro disputes audit that claimed rail control center was ‘toxic workplace’ environment | Justin George | December 11, 2020 | Washington PostDisney has experimented with the premium digital release of “Mulan” and the upcoming Pixar release “Soul,” but its box-office might has been the envy of Hollywood.
Disney plans to stream a galaxy of Star Wars, Marvel series | Verne Kopytoff | December 10, 2020 | FortuneFind people to spend your life with who have similar money views as you and it will save you a lot of unnecessary stress, envy and wasteful spending.
Seeing a new group arrive from the city, with all their toes intact, shiny hair, “fat and delicious-looking,” Agnes drools—maybe with envy, maybe because they so appetizingly resemble healthy livestock in her world of jerky and morning mush.
I envy my refusenik friends their steadfast commitments to stay in, and contentment in doing so.
Europeans seem to find them exotic, an odd case of culture-envy in reverse.
I don’t think that happened in the ‘90s and the ‘80s and I wonder if there’s a purity to that that I envy sometimes.
How Aidy Bryant Stealthily Became Your Favorite ‘Saturday Night Live’ Star | Kevin Fallon | October 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTI had found the one and only thing in the entire universe for which Ben Bradlee might envy me: my age.
I envy Muslims their practice of regular and genuine prayer.
It is then we make him our friend, which sets us above the envy and contempt of wicked men.
Consult not with him that layeth a snare for thee, and hide thy counsel from them that envy thee.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousShe expatiated on his father's character; on the envy of his rivals; and dated his fall to their ambition alone.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterShe had a graceful figure, and the slender foot below her white piqué skirt was at once the envy and admiration of Aix-les-Bains.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeLike his father, he had to bear all that Spanish envy and Spanish malignity could inflict.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.
British Dictionary definitions for envy
/ (ˈɛnvɪ) /
a feeling of grudging or somewhat admiring discontent aroused by the possessions, achievements, or qualities of another
the desire to have for oneself something possessed by another; covetousness
an object of envy
to be envious of (a person or thing)
Origin of envy
1Derived forms of envy
- envier, noun
- envyingly, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with envy
see green with envy.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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