jealous

adjective

jeal·​ous ˈje-ləs 

1

: hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage : envious

His success made his old friends jealous.

They were jealous of his success.

2

a

: intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness

jealous of the slightest interference in household management

—Havelock Ellis

b

: disposed to suspect rivalry or unfaithfulness

a jealous husband

3

: vigilant in guarding a possession

new colonies were jealous of their new independence

—Scott Buchanan

jealously adverb

jealousness noun

Did you know?

Zealous vs. Jealous

Zealous and jealous share not just a rhyme, but an etymology. Both words ultimately come from the Latin zelus “jealousy,” and in the past their meanings were somewhat closer to each other than they are today. In the 16th and 17th centuries, zealous occasionally was used in biblical writing to refer to a quality of apprehensiveness or jealousy of another. By the 18th century, however, it had completely diverged in meaning from jealous, signifying “warmly engaged or ardent on behalf of someone or something.” Today, zealous often carries a connotation of excessive feeling: it typically means “fiercely partisan” or “uncompromisingly enthusiastic.”

Synonyms

• possessive

Examples of jealous in a Sentence

His success has made some of his old friends jealous.

She became very jealous whenever he talked to other women.

He was in a jealous rage.

Recent Examples on the Web

Those who dislike her are jealous, those who disagree with her are evil, and those who try to stop her are vanquished—righteously. —Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025

On the Cinerama-sized screen (Imax will be jealous) stretching the entire length of the stage are three separate identical visions of whoever has the microphone, presenter and recipient. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Jan. 2025

Internet users could not believe their eyes, and some were jealous that their schools never brought in such special guests. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024

Cozy up to the bar inside Paris Bar for a glass of champagne in a room lit so beautifully, Louis Malle would be jealous; or take the elevator to the rooftop Le Jardin for Central Park views, cocktails, and small bites. —Shivani Vora, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English jelous, from Anglo-French gelus, from Vulgar Latin *zelosus, from Late Latin zelus zeal — more at zeal

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Kids Definition

jealous

adjective

jeal·​ous ˈjel-əs 

1

: demanding complete devotion

2

: feeling mean resentment toward a rival or competitor

3

: fearful of the loss of a loved one's devotion

4

: watchful, careful

jealously adverb