envy Hear it!

envy Definition

envy (en′vē)

noun pl. -·vies

  1. a feeling of discontent and ill will because of another's advantages, possessions, etc.; resentful dislike of another who has something that one desires
  2. desire for some advantage, quality, etc. that another has
  3. an object of envious feeling
  4. Obsolete ill will; spite

Etymology: ME & OFr envie < L invidia < invidus, having hatred or ill will < invidere, to look askance at < in-, in, upon + videre, to look: see wise

transitive verb -·vied, -·vy·ing

to feel envy toward, at, or because of; regard with envy

intransitive verb

Obsolete to feel or show envy

envy Related Forms

en′·vy·ingly adverb

envy Synonyms

envy

n.

jealousy, resentment, covetousness, rivalry, ill-will, spite, grudge, malice, enviousness, grudgingness, jealous competition, jaundiced eye, discontent at another's good fortune, backbiting, cupidity, greed, bitterness, invidiousness, maliciousness, lack of Christian charity, one of the seven deadly sins, bad sportsmanship, mean-spiritedness, lusting after another's goods, coveting another's possessions, desiring, hankering, longing, begrudging, invidia (Latin), the green-eyed monster*.

envy Synonyms

envy

v.

grudge, begrudge, covet, lust after, regard with envy, resent, have hard feelings toward, desire inordinately, crave, be envious of, feel resentful toward, hunger after, thirst after, desire, long for, yearn for, hanker after, be green with envy*.

to envy another is to feel ill will, jealousy, or discontent at the person's possession of something that one keenly desires to have or achieve oneself; begrudge implies an unwillingness that someone should possess or enjoy something that is needed or deserved; to covet is to long ardently and wrongfully for something that belongs to another

envy Usage Examples

Object

  • reputation: For some time the people of Melton Mowbray have been keen to seek ways to protect the envied reputation of their pork pies.
  • anyone: I just envy anyone who can run down my street.

Converse of object

  • arouse: They couldn't see that his goodness would arouse such envy.
  • excite: We wish to excite the envy of our untraveled friends with our strange foreign fashions which we can't shake off.
  • become: The collections soon became the envy of many Museums in the UK.
  • feel: Alongside the pain felt by witnessing their pain was a feeling, fleetingly felt, hardly tangible envy.
  • do: Dennis Skinner said he did not envy Tony Blair's decision.

Converse of subject

fuel: The " monster " is fueled by envy and can over time devour the trust and harmony in a relationship.

Modifies a noun

  • fuel: Christopher Macgowan: Politics of envy fuel 4x4 hatred Published: 04 July 2006 This is not a joke.
  • update: Click Here Tuesday 13th January 2004: Envy Update: The US release date for Envy has changed to 2nd April 2004.

Modifying Another Word

  • almost: Those, you almost envied them, the forsaken, that you found as loving as those who were satisfied.
  • sometimes: But whilst the rich sometimes envy the simpler life-style of the poor, those who are poor know the difficulties of making ends meet.
  • all: The quality of these medical schemes was praised and envied all over Britain.
  • n't: Do n't envy who God made someone else to be.
  • much: The resort's snow record is much envied; the season lasts from December to April.

Noun used with modifier

penis: Better handling, better brakes and without the whole junior version of penis envy that the Chopper conveyed.

Preposition: of

  • world: Britain's museums are the envy of the world.
  • rest: The UK had, and continues to have, an accounting profession which is the envy of the rest of the world.
  • everyone: Are your diamonds the envy of everyone who sees them?
  • club: The numbers would have been the envy of many soccer clubs in the lower divisions.