jealous

adjective

jeal·​ous ˈje-ləs 

1

: hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage : envious

His success made his old friends jealous.

They were jealous of his success.

2

a

: intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness

jealous of the slightest interference in household management

—Havelock Ellis

b

: disposed to suspect rivalry or unfaithfulness

a jealous husband

3

: vigilant in guarding a possession

new colonies were jealous of their new independence

—Scott Buchanan

jealously adverb

jealousness noun

Did you know?

Zealous vs. Jealous

Zealous and jealous share not just a rhyme, but an etymology. Both words ultimately come from the Latin zelus “jealousy,” and in the past their meanings were somewhat closer to each other than they are today. In the 16th and 17th centuries, zealous occasionally was used in biblical writing to refer to a quality of apprehensiveness or jealousy of another. By the 18th century, however, it had completely diverged in meaning from jealous, signifying “warmly engaged or ardent on behalf of someone or something.” Today, zealous often carries a connotation of excessive feeling: it typically means “fiercely partisan” or “uncompromisingly enthusiastic.”

Synonyms

• possessive

Examples of jealous in a Sentence

His success has made some of his old friends jealous.

She became very jealous whenever he talked to other women.

He was in a jealous rage.

Recent Examples on the Web

Abuse Survivor Dear Survivor: This husband seemed quite jealous over his wife’s affectionate attachment to her children. —Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 19 Apr. 2024

Defense attorney Tony Moss acknowledged the jury verdict during Tuesday’s closing argument, but compared Holton to the tragic Othello, a Shakespearean military commander who killed his wife in a fit of jealous rage. —Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024

Vivaldi joined the priesthood to be commissioned to write music, much to chagrin of his jealous rival and church hierarchy. —Katcy Stephan, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024

It’s also reported that this is the brunch spot where a jealous Stanford Blatch (Willie Garson) berates Carrie for befriending shoe importer Oliver Spencer (Murray Bartlett). —Kayla Keegan, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024

The site said he Simmons praised the edgier look and said that haters don’t get it and are probably just jealous. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2024

Dyson At this point, Dyson products speak for themselves, and by merely existing, the beloved Dyson Airwrap and Dyson Supersonic make every other hair tool jealous. —Annie Blackman, Allure, 3 Apr. 2024

Jenner has been showing off her tropical getaway on social media—but eagle-eyed fashion fans are likely more jealous of her vacation wardrobe than the destination. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2024

Standing in his way are British spies, French informers and jealous colleagues. —Liza Foreman, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English jelous, from Anglo-French gelus, from Vulgar Latin *zelosus, from Late Latin zelus zeal — more at zeal

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Kids Definition

jealous

adjective

jeal·​ous ˈjel-əs 

1

: demanding complete devotion

2

: feeling mean resentment toward a rival or competitor

3

: fearful of the loss of a loved one's devotion

4

: watchful, careful

jealously adverb