envious

envious — adjective

1. feeling a desire for the advantages, qualities, or possessions that another pers

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

feeling a desire for the advantages, qualities, or possessions that another person has, often accompanied by unhappiness that you do not have them

Example

Sayaka felt envious of her brother's new video-game console.

envious of + noun phrase

The Sánchez family could not hide their envious glances at their neighbours' new car.

envious + noun: envious glances

Common collocations
  • envious of someone/something
  • envious glances / looks / stares
  • envious feelings / thoughts
  • feel / become / grow envious
  • make someone envious
Synonyms
  • jealous

    stronger emotional charge; often suggests resentment or fear of losing something you already have

  • covetous

    formal; implies a strong, often morally questionable desire to possess what belongs to others

  • green with envy

    informal idiom; describes a very intense, obvious feeling of envy

Antonyms
  • content

    satisfied with what you have, feeling no need for more

  • generous

    happy to share or celebrate others' success rather than wanting it for yourself

Grammar Patterns

envious + of + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently followed by of: envious of a person, envious of a thing. In everyday English, envious focuses on wanting what others have, while jealous often implies a fear of losing something you already have (such as a partner's attention or a friendship).

Common Mistakes

I am envious to his new bicycle.
I am envious of his new bicycle.
The adjective envious is followed by of, not to.
She was envious about her coworker's promotion.
She was envious of her coworker's promotion.
Use of, not about, after envious.

Word family

  • envy
    nounB2
  • envy
    verbB2
  • enviable
    adjectiveB2
  • unenviable
    adjectiveC1
  • enviably
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Envious, jealous, and covetous all involve wanting what someone else has, but they differ in intensity and context. Envious is the broadest, most neutral term — you can feel envious of a friend's holiday without ill will. Jealous carries a stronger, more uncomfortable feeling and often implies resentment or suspicion (e.g. jealous of a partner's friend). Covetous is formal and morally charged, suggesting a greedy desire for someone else's possessions, often in a way that feels wrong. 'Green with envy' is an informal idiom for dramatic, visible envy. For everyday use, envious is safest; jealous works when the emotion is sharper; covetous fits formal or literary contexts only.

jealous ↗covetousgreen with envy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • envious glances
  • envious looks
  • envious thoughts
  • envious feelings

Adverbs

  • secretly envious
  • slightly envious
  • extremely envious
  • openly envious
  • bitterly envious

Phrases

Prepositions

  • envious of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin invidia (envy, ill will), which comes from invidēre (to look at with ill will), formed from in- (upon) + vidēre (to see). The idea is of 'looking at someone with a hostile or resentful gaze'. Latin invidia passed into Old French as envie, then into Middle English as envie, and eventually the adjective form envious appeared in the 14th century.