Meaning & use
green jealousy
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountableliterary
A strong feeling of envy or resentment, pictured as a green color, often toward someone who has what you want.
Grammar: Uncountable, so it takes no plural and no 'a': say 'a wave of green jealousy', not 'a green jealousy'.
Patterns
- green jealousy of someone
- green jealousy at something
- a flash of green jealousy
When her sister was offered the scholarship, she felt a sharp pang of green jealousy.
He watched the winners on stage with green jealousy in his eyes.
Their friendship broke down under a cloud of green jealousy after the promotion.
noununcountableliteraryfigurative
The color green used as a picture or symbol for jealous feelings in poetry and stories.
Grammar: Used mainly in creative writing; it names the image rather than a measurable thing, so it stays uncountable.
Patterns
- the green of jealousy
- a green tinge of jealousy
The poem paints the lover's face with the green of jealousy.
In the old play, the stage lights turn a sickly green to show the husband's jealousy.
phrasefixed phraseliterary
A way of describing jealousy as a color that seems to fill or cover someone.
Grammar: A fixed descriptive phrase; it usually follows verbs like 'turn' or 'go' in literary writing.
Patterns
- turn green with jealousy
- go green with jealousy
She turned green with jealousy when she saw them laughing together.
He went green with jealousy every time her phone buzzed.
Common combinations
- a pang of green jealousy
- A sudden pang of green jealousy hit him when he heard the news.
- green with jealousy
- She was green with jealousy over her friend's new job.
- green jealousy in someone's eyes
- There was green jealousy in his eyes as he watched the ceremony.
- consumed by green jealousy
- He was consumed by green jealousy for months after the award.
- a flash of green jealousy
- A quick flash of green jealousy crossed her face before she smiled.
Synonyms and how they differ
- envy
- Envy is the everyday word for wanting what another person has; 'green jealousy' is the same idea with a poetic color image, so it suits stories and poems better.
- jealousy
- Jealousy is the plain, neutral noun and works in all registers; adding 'green' makes it more dramatic and literary.
- resentment
- Resentment is bitter anger at unfair treatment, which may exist without wanting the other person's things; 'green jealousy' always keeps the color image of wanting.
- covetousness
- Covetousness is a formal word for wanting someone else's possessions; it has no color image and sounds much more religious or legal.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: green jealousy or green-eyed monster? green jealousy or green with envy?
green jealousy vs green-eyed monster
This is a fixed literary phrase for jealousy itself, often used humorously; 'green jealousy' is a descriptive phrase, not a set idiom, so it is less common and more flexible.
green jealousy vs green with envy
This common fixed phrase means extremely envious; 'green jealousy' follows the same color idea but is much rarer and sounds more poetic.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'green jealousy' in the most natural way?
Choose one answer.
'Turn green with jealousy' is a natural fixed pattern for this literary phrase. Option 0 is wrong because the phrase is uncountable and not a thing you can buy; option 2 wrongly makes it plural; option 3 wrongly uses it as a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “green jealousy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.