as in jealousy
a painful awareness of another's possessions or advantages and a desire to have them too
their envy of their neighbor's fancy home threatened to wreck their friendship
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to resent
to have a resentful awareness of and desire for (another's possessions or advantages) or to feel resentment toward (someone) over possessions or advantages
her coworkers envied her chummy relationship with the senior vice president they envied him because he didn't have to work for a living
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of envy
Adam A. Millsap, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
TikTok’s magical algorithm that keeps you hooked on the app is its secret power, and putting a price tag on such a valuable commodity that every other social media app envies is difficult.
—David Goldman, CNN, 15 Jan. 2025
Eunbo Shim, Billboard, 17 Dec. 2024
Jesse Eisenberg — who wrote, directed, and stars opposite Culkin — is the ostensible protagonist David, Benji’s uptight, socially awkward cousin who envies and pities him in equal measure, but A Real Pain is Culkin’s showcase.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for envy 
Noun
Despite our problems, our economy remains the envy of the world.
—Adam A. Millsap, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
TikTok’s magical algorithm that keeps you hooked on the app is its secret power, and putting a price tag on such a valuable commodity that every other social media app envies is difficult.
—David Goldman, CNN, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
For instance, the distinct characters and worlds that exist only onstage for groups are something I, as a soloist, sometimes envy.
—Eunbo Shim, Billboard, 17 Dec. 2024
Jesse Eisenberg — who wrote, directed, and stars opposite Culkin — is the ostensible protagonist David, Benji’s uptight, socially awkward cousin who envies and pities him in equal measure, but A Real Pain is Culkin’s showcase.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for envy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for envy
Noun
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Some dogs have been known to express unhappiness or jealousy following the arrival of a baby on the scene.—
John Yoo and John Shu,
Newsweek,
23 Jan. 2025
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Ince’s death has remained the subject of speculation and was the focus of Peter Bogdanovich’s 2001 film The Cat’s Meow, which suggests that Hearst mistakenly shot Ince in a fit of jealousy over Chaplin’s alleged affair with actress Marion Davies.—
Ryan Gajewski,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Employees sometimes resent being affiliated with the larger department because of its sprawling, competing and sometimes politically charged activities.—
Frank J. Cilluffo,
The Conversation,
14 Jan. 2025
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But others resented the commission’s findings — which exposed their lack of administrative ability — and the President’s public endorsement of them.—
Bruce W. Dearstyne / Made by History,
TIME,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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To understand why Germans at different levels of society backed Hitler, scholars often cite people’s deep commitment to Nazi ideology; the hatred of Jews, homosexuals, Romani, or Communists; or sheer psychopathic sadism.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Jan. 2025
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Platforms originally designed to connect people and foster communities are being weaponized to spread hatred and violence.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This approach, Tu believes, can help prevent financial resentment and ensure that both partners retain a sense of independence.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
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Recognizing the explosive potential of such frustrations, American presidents — beginning with Dwight Eisenhower — explored potential compromises that might ease resentments without giving Panama control of the canal immediately.—
Aaron Coy Moulton / Made by History,
TIME,
16 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to envy
Thesaurus Entries Near envy
Cite this Entry
“Envy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/envy. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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