Meaning & use

envious

adjective·Everyday

Feeling or showing envy toward someone else's possessions, achievements, or good fortune.

See it in a sentence

She couldn't help feeling envious of her sister's effortless success at every job.

His envious glances at their new car revealed how badly he wanted one himself.

A note on using this word

Envious is usually followed by 'of,' as in envious of someone's talent, and differs slightly from 'jealous,' which often involves fear of losing something.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “envious”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.