Word
envious
Phoneticsen·vi·ous, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɛnviəs/
UK/ˈɛnvɪəs/
Definitions
01wanting what others have
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. feeling unhappy because you want something that someone else has.
adj. feeling or showing a resentful desire for the advantages, possessions, or luck enjoyed by others.
“She felt envious of her brother when he won a free trip to Hawaii.”
“The younger executives were openly envious of his rapid promotion, though they respected the immense effort he had put into the project.”
Synonyms
02inspiring envy
C1 · Advanced Literary · Formal
adj. describing something so good that other people want it for themselves.
adj. arousing or likely to arouse envy in others due to high quality or desirability.
“The company is in the envious position of having no major competitors.”
“By the end of the decade, the firm had secured an envious reputation for innovation and employee retention.”
Antonyms
Usage
Typically takes the preposition 'of' to indicate the object of the feeling.
Pitfall
envious for his success
envious of his success
Envious is paired with the preposition 'of', not 'for' or 'about'.
Real-World Examples
“Sylvia Petras, who owns Leaf and Stone Books, in Toronto, was envious as she watched book dealers in the U.S.” Etymology
From Middle English envious, from Anglo-Norman envious, from Old French envieus, envious (modern French envieux), from Latin invidiōsus; more at envy. Doublet of invidious, borrowed directly from Latin. Displaced native Old English æfestiġ.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/envious