Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Eager or ambitious to equal or surpass another.
- adjective Characterized or prompted by a spirit of rivalry.
- adjective Obsolete Covetous of power or honor; envious.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Desirous of equaling or excelling, as what one admires; inclined to imitative rivalry: with of before an object: as, emulous of another's example or virtues.
- Rivaling; competitive.
- Envious; jealous; contentiously eager.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Ambitiously desirous to equal or even to excel another; eager to emulate or vie with another; desirous of like excellence with another; -- with
of . - adjective Vying with; rivaling; hence, contentious, envious.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
ambitious orcompetitive .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective eager to surpass others
- adjective characterized by or arising from emulation or imitation
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Johnson in terms emulous of the great doctor's orotundity and ronderosity.
Literature and Life (Complete) William Dean Howells 1878
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Johnson in terms emulous of the great doctor's orotundity and ronderosity.
My Literary Passions William Dean Howells 1878
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But by their offence, salvation is come to the Gentiles, that they may be emulous of them . . .
Archive 2009-05-01 2009
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“Summon him to our presence,” said the Lord Abbot; and with an obedient start the two attendant monks went off with emulous alertness.
The Monastery 2008
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She never named Delvile, she begged Mrs Charlton never to mention him; she called to her aid the account she had received from Dr Lyster of his firmness, and endeavoured, by an emulous ambition, to fortify her mind from the weakness of depression and regret.
Cecilia 2008
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“Do you speak thus of a charge which the most noble of your countrymen feel themselves emulous to be admitted to?”
Quentin Durward 2008
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“Rakib” = spying, envious rival; “Ghábit” = one emulous without envy; and “Shámit” = a
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My belief is that as soon as he hears your challenge, he will embrace the contest; pricked on by emulous pride, he will insist upon getting the better of you in kindness of word and deed.
Memorabilia 2007
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No; this was the incantation reserved for souls athirst for fame, of virtue emulous.
Memorabilia 2007
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Only gratify their bellies in the matter of appetite, and you will succeed in winning much from them. 297 But ambitious, emulous natures feel the spur of praise,298 since some natures hunger after praise no less than others crave for meats and drinks.
Oeconomicus 2007
bilby commented on the word emulous
They are enough.
We’ll not divide our stars; but, side by side,
Fight emulous, and with malicious eyes
Survey each other’s acts: So every death
Thou giv’st, I’ll take on me, as a just debt,
And pay thee back a soul.
- John Dryden, 'All for Love'.
September 20, 2009