What does enviousness mean?
Enviousness is a noun describing the feeling of resentful desire that arises when we want what belongs to someone else — their success, possessions, talents, or good fortune. It is the abstract noun corresponding to the adjective "envious" and the more common noun "envy." The word can refer to a fleeting pang felt in a single moment, as in the enviousness one might feel seeing a friend's holiday photographs, or to a settled disposition, a character given to comparing itself unfavourably with others. In tone it is neutral to mildly negative: it names a universal but unattractive emotion, often invoked in moral, psychological, or literary contexts rather than casual conversation. Speakers more often reach for the shorter word "envy," which makes enviousness useful chiefly when a fuller, more formal register is wanted. Its etymology ties it to Latin invidia, the very word from which the Romans named their goddess of malicious envy.
nounThe state or quality of feeling or showing envy; a resentful longing for what someone else has.
- A feeling of resentful longing aroused by another person's possessions, qualities, or luck.
- The disposition or tendency to feel such resentment.
"Her enviousness of her sister's success strained their relationship for years."
"He tried to hide his enviousness when his colleague was promoted ahead of him."
"In the novel, the narrator's quiet enviousness of her friend's effortless talent gradually poisons their friendship."
Enviousness is normally uncountable; the rare plural would only appear in philosophical or literary writing distinguishing different kinds of envy, and most writers avoid it entirely.
"The essay traced the many enviousnesses that shape human rivalry."
"Envy" is so ancient that Latin had its own goddess of it — Invidia — whose gaze was said to wither whatever she looked upon; "enviousness" is simply that dread feeling spelled out in full.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enviousness
Enviousness is formed within English by adding the suffix -ness to the adjective "envious." That adjective descends through Old French "envieux" from Latin "invidiosus," meaning full of envy or ill-will, itself rooted in the Latin noun "invidia" (envy), derived from the verb "invidere," literally "to look at with malice" or "look against." Cognates include "invidious," which retains the older sense of arousing resentment or unfair discrimination. The suffix -ness is a native English word-forming element used since Old English to turn adjectives into abstract nouns.
Related word forms
How enviousness is actually used
Enviousness is noticeably less common than its near-synonym "envy" and can sound somewhat formal or literary. It is an abstract noun referring either to a passing emotion or to an enduring trait of character. Unlike "jealousy," it carries no implication of possessiveness over a relationship; it denotes pure coveting of another's advantages.
Easily confused with enviousness
Enviousness is the desire for something someone else has, while jealousy typically involves fear of losing something one already possesses to a rival.