envious

adjective

en·​vi·​ous ˈen-vē-əs How to pronounce envious (audio)
Synonyms of envious
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

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Examples of envious in a Sentence

a family that is envious of their neighbors' big house
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Wang failed her first attempt to defend her dissertation and became envious of her colleague's success in discovering how to deliver RNA to human cells using bacteria, Gomelsky told The Associated Press. — Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026 Gomelsky said Wang did not pass her first dissertation defense and became envious of her colleague's achievement in finding a way to use bacteria to deliver RNA to human cells. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Ever fill your dog’s dish, look down at the kibble, and feel a little envious? — Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 While the house is bursting with artwork that would make most museum curators envious, Herman’s home is surprisingly humble, built on a tight budget from prosaic materials. — Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for envious

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of envious was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

envier
envious
enviously
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Envious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/envious. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

envious

adjective
en·​vi·​ous ˈen-vē-əs How to pronounce envious (audio)
: feeling or showing envy
envious of a neighbor's good luck
an envious look
enviously adverb
enviousness noun
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