jealousy
n. C / Un. the unhappy feeling you have when you want what someone else has. It can also be the fear that someone you love likes another person more than you.
n. a state of resentment or envy toward someone else's achievements, possessions, or perceived advantages. Often refers to the protective or suspicious feeling regarding a romantic partner's loyalty.
He felt a sharp pang of jealousy when his friend won the prize.
Her success in the industry was met with jealousy from former colleagues who had been passed over for promotion.
The plot of the play hinges on a misunderstanding fueled by jealousy, leading the protagonist to doubt his most loyal companions without any physical evidence.
From Middle English jalousie, from Old French jalousie, equivalent to jealous + -y. Doublet of jalousie. Related also to zeal, zealous.
Uncountable when referring to the general emotion; countable when referring to specific instances or acts of being jealous.
He is jealousy of his brother.He is jealous of his brother.Learners often use the noun 'jealousy' where the adjective 'jealous' is required after a linking verb.