envy

noun

en·vy | \ ˈen-vē

plural envies

Essential Meaning of envy

1 : the feeling of wanting to have what someone else has my envy of his success Their exotic vacations inspired envy in/among their friends. See More ExamplesWe watched with envy as the yacht slid past us. They were green with envy. [=they were filled with envy; they were very envious] Her beautiful hair was an object of envy. [=people felt envy because of her beautiful hair]Hide

2 : someone or something that causes envy

Full Definition of envy

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage

2 obsolete : malice

3 : an object of envious notice or feeling his new car made him the envy of his friends

envy

verb

envied; envying

Definition of envy (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to feel envy toward or on account of

2 obsolete : begrudge

intransitive verb

obsolete : to feel or show envy

Other Words from envy Synonyms Jealousy vs. Envy More Example Sentences Learn More About envy

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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.

Examples of envy in a Sentence

Noun my envy of his success Their exotic vacations inspired envy in their friends. We watched with envy as the yacht slid past us. Verb I envy you for your large group of friends. I envy the way you've made so many friends.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Emma Brewin faux fur hat and python Tom Ford heels were envy-inspiring enough, the star of the look was a vintage Dior slip dress in a gorgeous petal pink shade. — Emily Dixon, Marie Claire, 7 July 2021 With new cars hard to come by (or too expensive to bother with) at the moment, Dad might have a bit of vehicle tech envy. — Anthony Karcz, Forbes, 8 June 2021 The King of the Seven Seas might have something much freakier to worry about than a brother with throne envy in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. — Jolie Lash, EW.com, 19 Aug. 2021 The two are constantly turning looks, starting trends, and inducing major closet envy. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, 17 Aug. 2021 There’s a Ferrante-esque flavor to the show’s portrayal of female friendship, with its fiercely physical intimacy and inevitable envy. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 31 July 2021 Sitting in a garden and taking in the ways in which the peacock could perform his dance of feathers or a snail outgrow its shell before slipping into a new one would have inspired enough envy in me to destroy the garden too. — Ari Marcopoulos; Styling By Miguel Enamorado, Harper's BAZAAR, 23 July 2021 Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are vacationing in Paris and the pics are next-level envy-inducing. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, 10 July 2021 One person might regard another’s attainments and feel envy, while another might feel genuine admiration. — Svetlana Whitener, Forbes, 7 July 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The relationship that forms between the two seemingly antithetical women covers vast psychological terrain, from admiration to envy, love to revulsion, mapped in every twitch of the head and microtone. — Mallika Rao, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2021 What goes on between the two young men is both obvious and mysterious, and Maxwell’s treatment of it shows a sophistication and sensitivity that 21st-century writers might envy and learn from. — New York Times, 30 Aug. 2021 But what Americans today might envy, with our intimations of national decline, makes thoughtful Germans uneasy. — Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 Whatever the motivation, after months of takeout, social media feeds are again filled with over-the-top meals for us proles to envy. — Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2021 Those who envy tend to put up barriers to learning. — Svetlana Whitener, Forbes, 7 July 2021 Whether Kim Jong Un of North Korea or Vladimir Putin of Russia, Trump has expressed respect -- and even envy -- for the way autocrats operate. — Michael D'antonio, CNN, 7 July 2021 In a year of panic, envy any creature who estivates in the heat. — Christina Olson, Scientific American, 16 June 2021 California is grappling with a problem other states might envy: handing out so much money can be a slow, bureaucratic process. — New York Times, 21 June 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'envy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near envy

envoy

envy

enweave

Statistics for envy

Last Updated

5 Sep 2021

Cite this Entry

“Envy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/envy. Accessed 8 Sep. 2021.

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More Definitions for envy

envy

noun

en·vy | \ ˈen-vē

plural envies

Kids Definition of envy

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a feeling of unhappiness over another's good fortune together with a desire to have the same good fortune He was filled with envy on seeing her success.

2 : a person or a thing that is envied

envy

verb

envied; envying

Kids Definition of envy (Entry 2 of 2)

: to feel unhappiness over the good fortune of (someone) and desire the same good fortune : feel envy toward or because of I envy you for your talent.