Meaning & use

jealous

adjective·Everyday

Feeling resentful envy of someone's achievements, possessions, or advantages, or fearful of losing someone's affection to a rival.

See it in a sentence

He felt jealous when his friend got the promotion he had been hoping for.

She admitted feeling jealous whenever her partner spent time with his old friends.

A note on using this word

Jealous and envious are often used interchangeably, but strictly, jealous involves fear of losing something one already has, while envious involves wanting something another has.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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