English Reference
noun

jealousy

n.
US /ˈdʒɛɫəsi/ UK /dʒˈɛləsi/ jeal·ousy UK spelling jealousies

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    the feeling of being angry or sad because you want something that someone else has.

    resentment or envy directed toward someone because of their success, possessions, or perceived advantages.

    Simple

    He felt a sharp pang of jealousy when he saw his neighbor's new car.

    In context

    Professional jealousy among the researchers hindered the project, as several team members refused to share their data for fear of being overshadowed.

    Pitfall
    He felt jealousy for his friend's new car. He felt jealousy of his friend's new car.

    While 'envy of' and 'envy for' are both used, 'jealousy' most naturally takes the preposition 'of'.

    envyresentmentcovetousness
  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    the feeling of being worried or angry because you think a person you love is interested in someone else.

    suspicion or fear of rivalry, specifically regarding the perceived unfaithfulness of a romantic partner.

    Simple

    Her constant jealousy made it very difficult for them to stay in a relationship.

    In context

    The play explores how unfounded jealousy can slowly erode the foundation of a marriage, leading to tragic misunderstandings.

    suspiciondistrustpossessiveness

From Middle English jalousie, from Old French jalousie, equivalent to jealous + -y. Doublet of jalousie. Related also to zeal, zealous.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old French jalousie
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated