Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the possessions or qualities of another.
- noun The object of such feeling.
- noun Obsolete Malevolence.
- transitive verb To feel envy toward (another person).
- transitive verb To regard (something) with envy.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A feeling of uneasiness, mortification, or discontent excited by the contemplation of another's superiority, prosperity, or success, accompanied with some degree of enmity or malignity, and often or usually with a desire or an effort to discomfit or mortify the person envied: usually followed by of.
- noun Hatred; ill will; malice.
- noun Public odium; ill repute.
- noun An object of envy.
- noun Synonyms Jealousy, Envy. Jealousy is the malign feeling which is often had toward a rival, or possible rival, for the possession of that which we greatly desire, as in love or ambition. Envy is a similar feeling toward one, whether rival or not, who already possesses that which we greatly desire. Jealousy is enmity prompted by fear; envy is enmity prompted by covetousness.
- To challenge (in a game).
- To vie with; emulate.
- To strive; contend; vie.
- To regard with envy; look upon as the possessor of what is wanting in or to one's self, with a longing for it, and either with or without, a desire for the deprivation or discomfiture of him who has it: often with both the possessor and the thing possessed as objects.
- To feel envy on account of; regard grudgingly or wistfully another's possession or experience of, either with or without malevolent feeling.
- To regard unfavorably; revolt against; oppose.
- To do harm to; injure.
- To be affected with envy; have envious feelings; regard something pertaining to another with grudge or longing: formerly often followed by at.
- noun A challenge (in a game); a vying; a vie.
- noun A contention; an attempt; an attack.
- noun Emulation.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To feel envy at or towards; to be envious of; to have a feeling of uneasiness or mortification in regard to (any one), arising from the sight of another's excellence or good fortune and a longing to possess it.
- transitive verb To feel envy on account of; to have a feeling of grief or repining, with a longing to possess (some excellence or good fortune of another, or an equal good fortune, etc.); to look with grudging upon; to begrudge.
- transitive verb To long after; to desire strongly; to covet.
- transitive verb obsolete To do harm to; to injure; to disparage.
- transitive verb obsolete To hate.
- transitive verb obsolete To emulate.
- intransitive verb To be filled with envious feelings; to regard anything with grudging and longing eyes; -- used especially with
at . - intransitive verb obsolete To show malice or ill will; to rail.
- noun obsolete Malice; ill will; spite.
- noun Chagrin, mortification, discontent, or uneasiness at the sight of another's excellence or good fortune, accompanied with some degree of hatred and a desire to possess equal advantages; malicious grudging; -- usually followed by
of . - noun obsolete Emulation; rivalry.
- noun obsolete Public odium; ill repute.
- noun An object of envious notice or feeling.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb obsolete To show
malice or ill will; torail .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb be envious of; set one's heart on
- verb feel envious towards; admire enviously
- noun spite and resentment at seeing the success of another (personified as one of the deadly sins)
- noun a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something that is possessed by another
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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If envy is an indication of how much I wish I could analyse like this, then picture me with skin as lush an April green as the fields and meadows beyond my house.
Archive 2009-04-01 L. Lee Lowe 2009
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The appeal of socialism can be explained by simply observing that envy is approximately as strong a force in human behavior as selfishness.
The Volokh Conspiracy » Democracy and the Appeal of Socialism 2010
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The envy is a constant, what changes are the socio-economic conditions - the most crucial of which was probably the invention of agriculture and storage of food.
The Envy of the World, Bryan Caplan | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
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If envy is an indication of how much I wish I could analyse like this, then picture me with skin as lush an April green as the fields and meadows beyond my house.
Chic ironic bitterness L. Lee Lowe 2009
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When militant feminism, a false doctrine with its roots in envy, promoted by false philosophies of this world, including Marxism, reared its ugly head in the 1960's, Helen rose to the challenge with her teachings on the home and family.
Archive 2009-06-01 2009
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Penis envy is right -- you notice how it's always guys like Sam and Randy leading the charge for this kind of thing?
OHSU biotech breakthrough -- worthless to Portland (Jack Bog's Blog) 2009
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The reason I think envy is a mistake is because one who is envious typically underestimates their own worth and also values the wrong things.
Envy and Resentment, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
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I look at my grandparents in envy because they received a good retirement plan from Duke Power and are in their late 70s, still healthy and without the worry of money.
Reality-Based Retirement Club, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
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Second, I think envy is a large obstancle to progress.
More on Mental Health and Poverty, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
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There will always be a certain envy between services.
British Transport Police « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2009
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