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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of envy
Lauren Wellbank,
Martha Stewart,
17 June 2026
Here, seething with envy at his counterpart in the North, Anta Claus sets out on a penguin-power journey to discover the secrets of a perfect Christmas.
—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Chicago has the industrial history, transportation networks and workforce base that most cities would envy.
—
Nicole Ruiz,
Chicago Tribune,
18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for envy
Noun
Having a lawn that is the envy of the neighborhood is many a homeowner’s dream.
—
Lauren Wellbank,
Martha Stewart,
17 June 2026
Here, seething with envy at his counterpart in the North, Anta Claus sets out on a penguin-power journey to discover the secrets of a perfect Christmas.
—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Verb
The 35-year-old veteran — with two All-Star games, over 2,000 career strikeouts and Cy Young votes to his name — envies a rookie.
—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Chicago has the industrial history, transportation networks and workforce base that most cities would envy.
—
Nicole Ruiz,
Chicago Tribune,
18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for envy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for envy
Noun
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Prosecutors argued that Yang, who had been involved with Gayle, murdered Reuter out of jealousy.
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This isn't intended to be a trauma dump, inspire jealousy, or make your significant other act as your therapist.
Verb
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As this diverse generation keeps moving into the workforce, employers can resent the shift or use it, because the companies that learn to manage Gen Z talent well tend to end up with a workplace culture that works better for every generation in it.
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To resent a rival is par for the course in the villa, but Toni and Shakira’s condemnations registered as truly antisocial.
Noun
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Disciples of this extremist hatred are running for office and winning in select primaries.
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But to the man himself, comedy is—like life—first and foremost about hatred of death.
Noun
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Unlike the 13 colonies, East and West Florida were largely unaffected by the British Stamp Act and other taxes that fueled resentment elsewhere because the colonies produced relatively little for the British colonial economy.
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When a leader isn't accountable to the process, the word becomes a do-as-I-say cliché that breeds resentment instead of results.
Cite this Entry
“Envy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/envy. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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