What does envy mean?
Envy is a painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by someone else, coupled with a desire to possess that same advantage. It functions as both noun ('her success excited envy') and verb ('they envied his confidence'). Unlike jealousy, which centres on fear of losing something already held, envy is directed at what belongs to another. Envy has long carried strong moral disapproval — it is one of the seven deadly sins in Christian tradition — yet in casual modern usage it is often benign, even complimentary: saying 'I envy your patience' usually signals admiration. Common collocations include 'green with envy', 'the envy of the world', and the sympathetic 'I don't envy you'. Related forms include the adjective 'envious', the adverb 'enviously', and 'enviable', meaning worth coveting. Its enduring presence across literature, philosophy, and everyday conversation makes it a rich and precise word for describing one of humanity's most familiar emotions.
A feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or achievements.
"His promotion was greeted not with congratulations but with quiet envy."
To desire resentfully something that someone else possesses; to feel envy towards.
"I don't envy anyone who has to make that decision."
Often used in the negative construction 'I don't envy...' to express sympathy with someone facing difficulty.
In Dante's Inferno, envious souls have their eyelids sewn shut with iron wire — because they wept constantly over others' good fortune while alive.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of envy
Envy comes from Old French 'envie', from Latin 'invidia', meaning envy or ill-will, derived from the verb 'invidēre', literally 'to look at with malice' or 'to look against' (from 'in-' against + 'vidēre' to see). This etymology is revealing: the envious person is imagined as casting a harmful glance at another's good fortune. English borrowed the word via Anglo-Norman and Middle French during the medieval period, replacing the native Old English term 'æfest'. Cognate forms include 'invidious' and, through related Romance developments, French 'envier'.
Related word forms
How envy is actually used
Envy carries a strongly negative moral connotation in formal and religious contexts — it is traditionally listed among the seven deadly sins. In everyday speech it is often softened: 'I envy you' can function as a compliment expressing admiration rather than malice. The phrase 'green with envy' and calling envy 'the green-eyed monster' are well-established idioms.
Easily confused with envy
Jealousy typically involves fear of losing something one already possesses (often a relationship), while envy is resentment at wanting something someone else has.