jealousy

noun

jeal·ou·sy ˈje-lə-sē

plural jealousies

Synonyms of jealousy next

: a jealous disposition, attitude, or feeling

a marriage destroyed by jealousy

petty jealousies

: zealous vigilance

cherish their official political freedom with fierce jealousy—

Paul Blanshard

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Jealousy vs. Envy

Depending on who you ask, jealousy and envy are either exact synonyms, totally different words, or near-synonyms with some degree of semantic overlap and some differences. It is difficult to make the case, based on the evidence of usage that we have, for either of the first two possibilities. Both jealousy and envy are often used to indicate that a person is covetous of something that someone else has, but jealousy carries the particular sense of “zealous vigilance” and tends to be applied more exclusively to feelings of protectiveness regarding one’s own advantages or attachments. In the domain of romance, it is more commonly found than envy. If you were to say “your salt-shaker collection fills me with jealousy,” most people would take it to mean much the same thing as “your salt-shaker collection fills me with envy.” But if someone made a flirtatious comment to your partner, you would likely say that it caused you jealousy, not envy.

Examples of jealousy in a Sentence

petty jealousies among political rivals a marriage ruined by infidelity and jealousy He was driven crazy with jealousy. He was unable to control his jealousies.

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Suspicion, dislike, jealousy, scapegoating — none of those are the transcendent facet of the human personality. —

Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024 Embodying Burroughs’ alter ego and cycling through Lee’s lust, jealousy, world-weariness, neediness, and bliss, Craig cracks this smitten, doomed romantic wide open. —

David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2024 Competing with others in unhealthy ways could lead to conflicts with colleagues or excessive jealousy in romantic relationships. —

Laura Dorwart, Verywell Health, 25 Oct. 2024 This resentment and jealousy could be a strong motive for Howard, who—as an actor—may be concealing his true feelings for Charles, Oliver and Mabel beneath his affable exterior. —

Erik Kain, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for jealousy