envy 1 of 2

as in jealousy
a painful awareness of another's possessions or advantages and a desire to have them too their envy of their neighbor's fancy home threatened to wreck their friendship

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

envy

2 of 2

verb

as in to resent
to have a resentful awareness of and desire for (another's possessions or advantages) or to feel resentment toward (someone) over possessions or advantages her coworkers envied her chummy relationship with the senior vice president they envied him because he didn't have to work for a living

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of envy
Noun
Greetings transitioned to talk of sleep training and stroller envy, and the bonding happened quickly. Alexis Benveniste, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025 Follow the steps below to make a flower bed that will be the envy of the neighborhood. Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
In his first three decades at Kent Denver School, Schayes was a coach his peers envied. Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025 Helena appears to very much envy the restricted world of her innie—as a member of the Eagan clan, Helena seems to have less joy and personal freedom in her life than a literal slave. Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for envy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for envy
Noun
  • Chloë Sevigny plays Anne, whose arrival at the family’s holiday villa on the French Riviera sets in motion a deadly cycle of jealousy and retribution.
    Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 23 May 2025
  • The jealousy that Angel Reese has towards her and has consistently shown makes Caitlin fans hate her.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Trump plainly resents the sentiment underlying the acronym.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025
  • People might temporarily resent necessary difficult decisions, but will permanently lose faith in leaders who lack the courage to do what's right.
    Nirmal Chhabria, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • No more tolerance of hatred, no more mercy for criminals.
    Sarah Beth Hensley, ABC News, 28 May 2025
  • Antisemitism, hatred and terrorism must be stopped, lest our civilization fall into the abyss.
    Diane Gensler, Baltimore Sun, 26 May 2025
Noun
  • Possibly further fueling Jones’s resentment, he had been named in two inspector general Investigations in 2022.
    Emmet C. Davitt, Baltimore Sun, 19 May 2025
  • This is largely because of the general resentment surrounding Paul, not because of his heelish actions inside the ring, but because of his controversial actions outside of it.
    Jeremy Hanna, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Envy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/envy. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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