jealous

adjective

ˈje-ləs How to pronounce jealous (audio)
Definition of jealousnext
1
as in possessive
intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness a boyfriend who became jealous whenever she paid attention to anyone but him

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in envious
having or showing mean resentment of another's possessions or advantages was jealous of his friend's great popularity with the girls

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 jealous Payne is jealous that LA28’s torch relay will reach every corner of the United States when Atlanta only managed 42 states. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 When Chiefs season-ticket member Chloe Elise, a money expert with more than 244,000 Instagram followers, showed off her Chiefs coat coat on Instagram, jealous fans from other teams jumped into the comments. — Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026 One particularly problematic scene has the villagers, among them the lovestruck and jealous Wilf, confronting Philip until he is forced to lash out physically, leading to further condemnation. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026 But no need to be jealous because that was not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. — Jennet Jusu, Allure, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for jealous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jealous
  1. possessive
  2. envious
  3. covetous
  4. resentful
  5. malicious
Adjective
  • Perhaps that’s why the first of Cyrus’ shows at the Hollywood Bowl felt so possessive, so intrinsically tied to her recent eras and willing to explore them.
    — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Jones was often jealous, distrustful, possessive and controlling of his girlfriend, according to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of possessive
Adjective
  • 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, 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
Definition of envious
Adjective
  • Starring Elordi and Barry Keoghan, Fennell’s dark comedy about class resentment and covetous destruction was sold on the promise of erotic excess.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Feb. 2026
  • For most players, that amount of storage is realistically enough for all but the most covetous data hoarders.
    — Matt Kamen, Wired News, 3 Aug. 2025
Definition of covetous
Adjective
  • Keith David, Macon Blair, Killer Mike, Cody Lightning, Siena East, and Michael Hitchcock all return as some of Lee’s Tulsa-area buddies, employees, and resentful acquaintances.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The once-promising prodigy will grow dissolute, remorseful and resentful of his wife, who outlives him.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of resentful
Adjective
  • Moreover, the perpetrators do not appear to have used malicious code on the fridge controllers, potentially complicating efforts to track down who carried out the cyberattack, added Aimé.
    — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The best way to protect yourself from malicious links that install malware and potentially access your private information is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of malicious

Browse Nearby Words

jazzy
jealous
jealously
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Cite this Entry

“Jealous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jealous. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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