enviable
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does enviable mean? Enviable means very desirable. It’s especially used to describe things that a person has and that other people want—or a person that other people want to be like. In other words, enviable means worthy of or likely to cause envy—a feeling of desire for something that someone else has and you do not. Envy is also a verb meaning to have feelings of envy toward someone, and enviable is formed from this verb. Envy is not a good feeling—it can be described as a mix of admiration and discontent. Enviable is often used to describe things that are so good that other people will naturally want them (and might even get a little envious or jealous). The opposite of enviable is unenviable, which is typically used to describe tasks or positions that no one wants, as in He was given the unenviable task of making sure everyone paid on time. Example: It’s an enviable position, with a lot of perks, so naturally we have many applicants.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of enviable
Explanation
Things that are enviable are so good that other people want them. People desire enviable things. Enviable things are so desirable that everybody wants them. A high-paying job is enviable. A vacation in the Caribbean is enviable. Winning the lottery is very enviable. Anytime someone does something impressive or buys something cool, it's likely to be described with the word enviable. Also, a sports team with a big lead could be described as being in an enviable position: other teams would like to be in their position.
Vocabulary lists containing enviable
Vocabulary from "John L. O'Sullivan on 'Manifest Destiny' " from 1839
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!
Vocabulary from Woodrow Wilson's "Fourteen Points" (1918)
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!
6.1: Origins and Outcomes of World War I in Global Context (Sources 1–8)
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.
That puts you in an enviable position, someone with a level head who has never, or rarely, succumbed to temptation.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
India's economy is growing at an enviable rate of over 7% despite global energy shocks, rising interest rates, tariff uncertainties and weather-related disruptions.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Domingo’s own midlife — conversations about fiber and the proliferation of readers in every room aside — is enviable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Natural gas is a different story, and that’s where the U.S. is in a truly enviable position.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
The Director will be with them all day, smiling, glad-handing, and pretending life in the camp is somehow enviable, exceeding humanitarian requirements.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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.
