jealousy

noun

jeal·​ou·​sy ˈje-lə-sē 

plural jealousies

1

: a jealous disposition, attitude, or feeling

a marriage destroyed by jealousy

petty jealousies

2

: zealous vigilance

… cherish their official political freedom with fierce jealousy …

—Paul Blanshard

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Jealousy vs. Envy

Depending on who you ask, jealousy and envy are either exact synonyms, totally different words, or near-synonyms with some degree of semantic overlap and some differences. It is difficult to make the case, based on the evidence of usage that we have, for either of the first two possibilities. Both jealousy and envy are often used to indicate that a person is covetous of something that someone else has, but jealousy carries the particular sense of “zealous vigilance” and tends to be applied more exclusively to feelings of protectiveness regarding one’s own advantages or attachments. In the domain of romance, it is more commonly found than envy. If you were to say “your salt-shaker collection fills me with jealousy,” most people would take it to mean much the same thing as “your salt-shaker collection fills me with envy.” But if someone made a flirtatious comment to your partner, you would likely say that it caused you jealousy, not envy.

Synonyms of jealousy

• resentment
• envy
• hatred

Examples of jealousy in a Sentence

petty jealousies among political rivals

a marriage ruined by infidelity and jealousy

He was driven crazy with jealousy.

He was unable to control his jealousies.

Recent Examples on the Web

As Catherine, the niece Eddie has raised as his own, falls in love with Rodolpho, Eddie’s protectiveness curdles into jealousy, setting him on a course toward an irreversible act of betrayal that fractures his family and his community. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 14 July 2026

Richards channeled his jealousy into an elemental fury of a song. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 July 2026

Prosecutors argued that Yang, who had been involved with Gayle, murdered Reuter out of jealousy. — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026

This isn't intended to be a trauma dump, inspire jealousy, or make your significant other act as your therapist. — Sabrina Romanoff, CNBC, 29 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

jealousy

noun

jeal·​ou·​sy ˈjel-ə-sē 

plural jealousies

: a jealous disposition, attitude, or feeling