envy
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envy
- /ˈɛnvi/
Rhymes with -ɛnvi
Where it comes from
From Middle English envie, from Old French envie, from Latin invidia (“envy”), from invidere (“to look at with malice”), from in- (“on, upon”) + videre (“to look, see”). Doublet of envie. Cognate to Proto-Slavic *zavistь (“envy”).
Displaced native Old English æfest and nīþ.
noun envies
- Resentful desire of something possessed by another or others (but not limited to material possessions). No bliss enjoyed by us excites his envy more.
- An object of envious notice or feeling. This constitution in former days used to be the envy of the world[.]
- Hatred, enmity, ill-feeling. Syre said laūcelot vnto Arthur by this crye that ye haue made ye wyll put vs that ben aboute yow in grete Ieopardy for there be many Knyghtes that haue grete enuye to vs therfore whan we shal mete at the daye of Iustes there wille be hard skyfte amonge vs
- Emulation; rivalry. c. 1631-1636, John Ford, The Fancies Chaste and Noble Such as cleanliness and decency Prompt to a virtuous envy.
- Public odium; ill repute. to lay the envy of the war upon Cicero
- A red-skinned variety of eating apple.
Opposite: kindness
verb envies · envying · envied
- To feel displeasure or hatred towards (someone) for their good fortune or possessions. Moon and Kim took a cable car together to Heaven Lake, a caldera at the top of the mountain, and walked around the area with their wives and officials from both sides. Pictures showed Moon and Kim smiling and posing with their wives, and Moon filling a bottle with water from the lake. “The Chinese e
- To resentfully or discontentedly desire (something someone else has that one lacks).
- To have envious feelings (at). I do not envy at their wealth, titles, offices;[…]let me live quiet and at ease.
- To give (something) to (someone) grudgingly or reluctantly; to begrudge. But that sweet Cordiall, which can restore A loue-sick hart, she did to him enuy[…].
- To show malice or ill will; to rail. He has[…]envied against the people.
- To do harm to; to injure; to disparage. If I make a lie To gain your love and envy my best mistress, Put me against a wall.
- To hate. Both jealous of my love, envied each other
- To emulate. Let later age that noble vse enuie, Vile rancour to auoid, and cruell surquedrie
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: enviousness, begrudge, invidia, jealousy, jealous, hatred, grudge, malice, wrath, urge, longing, craving, covet, desire, want, feeling
noun
Opposite: kindness
Translations
Every language
noun resentful desire of something possessed by another
| Español | envidia, pelusa, dentera |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 부러움 bureoum, 질투 jiltu |
| 日本語 | 嫉妬 shitto, ねたみ netami |
| 中文 | 妒嫉 dùjí, 羨慕 /羡慕 xiànmù, 嫉妒 jídù |
| हिन्दी | ईर्ष्या īrṣyā, जलन jalan, रश्क raśk, हसद hasad |
| Kiswahili | wivu |
| Português | inveja, ciúmes |
| Français | envie, jalousie, convoitise |
| Deutsch | Neid, Abgunst |
| Italiano | invidia |
| Ελληνικά | φθόνος fthónos, ζήλια zília |
| Română | invidie |
| Русский | за́висть závistʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | sự thèm muốn, sự ghen tị |
| العربية | حَسَد ḥasad |
| עברית | קִנְאָה kin'á |
Talk about this word "envy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/envy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. envy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/envy "envy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/envy.Cite this
@misc{envy_2026,
title = {envy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/envy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
