ENGLISH
REFERENCE

envy

n. · v.
US //ˈɛnvi// UK //ˈɛnvi// en·vy
  1. 1 the feeling of resentment (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the feeling of wanting what someone else has.

    a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck.

    Example

    She felt a sharp pang of envy when she saw her friend's new house.

    Example

    The promotion of his younger colleague filled him with a bitter sense of envy that he struggled to conceal during the meeting.
    Pitfall
    I have envy for his new car.
    I feel envy toward his new car.

    While 'envy' is a noun, it is more natural to say you 'feel envy toward' something or simply 'envy' it as a verb.

  2. 2 the object of desire (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a person or thing that people admire and want for themselves.

    a person or thing that is the object of envious notice.

    Example

    His beautiful garden was the envy of the whole neighbourhood.

    Example

    The startup's rapid growth and high profit margins made it the envy of the local tech industry.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'the envy of'.
Show 2 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 to want what another has (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to wish that you had the same qualities or things as someone else.

    to feel envy toward someone or their possessions; to begrudge someone their success.

    Example

    I don't envy him the long commute he has to do every morning.

    Example

    While many might envy her fame, few would enjoy the constant lack of privacy that comes with it.

    Usage

    This is a transitive verb and takes a direct object.
  2. 4 hatred or ill-will (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Archaic Literary

    a very old-fashioned word for deep hatred or bad feelings toward someone.

    malice, ill-will, or enmity toward another person.

    Example

    The old stories tell of a king who acted out of pure envy and spite.

    Example

    The protagonist's downfall was brought about not by fate, but by the hidden envy of those he considered his closest allies.
Origin

Etymology tree Old French enviebor. Middle English envie English envy From Middle English envie, from Old French envie, from Latin invidia (“envy”), from invidere (“to look at with malice”), from in- (“on, upon”) + videre (“to look, see”). Doublet of envie. Cognate to Proto-Slavic *zavistь (“envy”). Displaced native Old English æfest.

Word family
Idioms1 entry

© 2026 English Reference