adjective
envious
EHN-vee-uhs
adjective
1
Feeling or showing envy toward someone else's success, possessions, or good fortune.
"He couldn't hide his envious glances at his neighbor's new car."
"She felt envious of her friend's new job."
How to Use Envious
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWishing you had what someone else has.
Common mistake
"Envious" is about wanting what someone else has; "jealous" more often describes fear of losing something you already have, like a partner's attention — though the two overlap heavily in casual speech.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
envious of
envious glance
Word Forms
more envious comparative, most envious superlative
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He couldn't hide his _____ glances at his neighbor's new car.
Etymology
From Old French envieus, from Latin invidiosus, related to "envy."