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.
We 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]
—sometimes used humorously after a noun that indicates an object of envyMy neighbor's new lawn mower has given me a bad case of lawn mower envy. [=I'm very envious of my neighbor's new lawn mower]
2
: someone or something that causes envy
—used in the phrase the envy of
She was the envy of all her friends. [=all her friends envied her]
Our car was the envy of the neighborhood. [=the neighbors envied us for our car]
envies; envied; envying
: to feel a desire to have what someone else has : to feel envy because of (someone or something)
I envy you for your large group of friends.
They envied his success. = They envied him for his success.
I envy the way you've made so many friends.
I don't envy you your dental problems. [=I'm glad that I don't have your dental problems]
Cite this Entry
“Envy.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/envy. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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