envious

adjective

en·​vi·​ous ˈen-vē-əs 

1

: feeling or showing envy

envious of their neighbor's new car

envious looks

2

archaic

a

: showing a desire to emulate : emulous

b

: highly desirable : enviable

enviously adverb

enviousness noun

Usage of Jealous and Envious

Some assert that only envious is correctly used to describe someone who feels or shows a very strong desire for something that belongs to someone else, but in truth both envious and jealous commonly carry this meaning. Jealous alone is used to describe someone who tends to suspect unfaithfulness.

a jealous lover

Synonyms of envious

• jealous

Examples of envious in a Sentence

a family that is envious of their neighbors' big house

Recent Examples on the Web

On corporate earnings calls across the sector, executives have been touting their streaming profits and planning, envious of Netflix‘s margins, which hover in the mid 20 to low 30 percent range. —Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 26 Nov. 2025

Elizabeth Olsen does vintage flirty ‘n’ flighty with an impeccable sense of Jean Arthur timing, and a glamor-puss profile that would make Claudette Colbert envious. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2025

The lessons are harsh; the envious have their eyes sewn shut with iron wire. —Claudia Roth Pierpont, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

The result is a comedy that’s both precise and unhinged, absurdly funny yet emotionally true — a portrait of youthful ambition and friendship that makes someone slightly older both grateful to not be that young anymore and just a little envious of those who are. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

envious

adjective

en·​vi·​ous ˈen-vē-əs 

: feeling or showing envy

envious of a neighbor's good luck

an envious look

enviously adverb

enviousness noun