envious

adjective

en·​vi·​ous ˈen-vē-əs 

1

: feeling or showing envy

envious of their neighbor's new car

envious looks

2

archaic

a

: emulous

b

: enviable

enviously adverb

enviousness noun

Synonyms

• covetous
• green-eyed
• invidious
• jaundiced
• jealous
• resentful

Examples of envious in a Sentence

a family that is envious of their neighbors' big house

Recent Examples on the Web

The defense argued that Terell Ephron, a fellow rapper, was envious of the hip-hop star and assaulted him twice previously on the night of the shooting. —Kaylah Jackson, NBC News, 19 Feb. 2025

Reeling from the heartbreak — and envious of the many expectant mothers around her — Lainy decides to put on a pretend baby bump and fake a pregnancy. —Jordana Comiter, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025

Recently, the couple found themselves in Zanzibar, Africa, after an epic excursion through Qatar, which has many fans envious. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 29 Jan. 2025

Every inch of The White Lotus’s Thailand resort induces a mix of envious longing and burbling queasiness. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

envious

adjective

en·​vi·​ous ˈen-vē-əs 

: feeling or showing envy

envious of a neighbor's good luck

an envious look

enviously adverb

enviousness noun