The envy meaning is the uncomfortable feeling of wanting something another person has, such as their success, possessions, looks or luck, often mixed with resentment that they have it and you do not. As a verb, to envy someone is to feel that way about them.
Everyone feels envy at times, and it can range from a passing twinge to a bitter, lasting grudge. This page gives a clear envy definition, explains how it differs from jealousy, looks at what envy means in the Bible and other traditions, and shows natural ways to use the word, including the friendly phrase "I don't envy you".
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Discontent or resentment caused by someone else's advantagesPart of speech
Noun and verb (envy, envies, envied, envying)Pronunciation
EN-veeWord forms
envious (adjective), enviously (adverb), enviable (worth envying)Origin
Old French envie, from Latin invidia, from invidere, "to look at with ill will"Close words
jealousy, covetousness, resentmentOpposite
Contentment, goodwill, admiration without resentment
Envy meaning in plain words
Most attempts to define envy agree that it has two parts:
- Desire: you want something another person has, whether a promotion, a home, a talent or a happy family.
- Pain about their having it: their good fortune makes you feel smaller, sad or annoyed.
Psychologists sometimes separate benign envy, which motivates you to work harder ("I envy her fluency, so I'm practising every day"), from malicious envy, which wants the other person brought down. The first can be useful; the second tends to harm both people. Either way, envy ranks among the most widespread human emotions, which is why it shows up in proverbs, stories and religious teachings around the world.
Envy the noun, envy the verb
As a noun: "She felt a pang of envy." "His new bike was the envy of the street" means everyone wished they had it.
As a verb: you envy a person, or you envy someone something. "I envy your patience." "We envied them their sunny garden."
Useful phrases:
- green with envy: very envious
- the envy of: admired and wanted by a group ("the envy of the neighbourhood")
- I don't envy you: a sympathetic way to say "your task sounds hard"
- pang or twinge of envy: a brief feeling
The adjective is envious (feeling envy), while enviable describes something others would want, like an enviable salary.
Everyday examples
- Scrolling through holiday photos, Ravi felt a flash of envy and then booked his own weekend trip.
- "I have to clean the whole garage today." "I don't envy you."
- Her calm under pressure is the envy of the entire team.
- He envied his older sister's confidence when speaking in public.
- The small town's clean river is the envy of its larger neighbours.
Envy versus jealousy
These two are often used as if they meant the same thing, and in casual speech many people say jealous for both. But careful writers keep a difference:
| Envy | Jealousy | |
|---|---|---|
| Core feeling | Wanting what someone else has | Fear of losing what you have to someone else |
| People involved | Usually two: you and the person you envy | Usually three: you, someone you value, and a rival |
| Example | Envying a friend's new job | Feeling jealous when your partner flirts with a stranger |
Feelings about loyalty in relationships connect to fidelity. Envy, by contrast, is about comparison. Pride, contempt and similar emotion words wait under people and feelings, too.
What does envy mean in the Bible?
Scripture treats envy as a destructive sin of the heart. Some key ideas:
- The tenth commandment forbids coveting a neighbour's house, spouse or goods, a close relative of envy.
- Proverbs describes envy as something that rots the bones, while a peaceful heart gives life.
- In Galatians 5, envy appears in the list of "works of the flesh", and James 3 links envy and selfish ambition with disorder.
- The Gospels of Matthew and Mark say the religious leaders handed Jesus over out of envy.
Later Christian tradition counted envy among the seven deadly sins, with kindness or charity as its remedy. Other faiths share the concern: Islamic teaching warns against hasad, envy that wishes someone to lose a blessing, and Buddhist teaching praises mudita, joy in others' good fortune, as its cure. The faith and belief hub and our virtue page go further.
Origin of the word
Envy came into Middle English from Old French envie, which goes back to Latin invidia. The Latin verb invidere joined in, "upon", with videre, "to see", giving the idea of looking at someone with ill will, a kind of evil eye. The related adjective invidious, meaning unfair or likely to cause resentment, comes from the same root.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between envy and jealousy?
Envy is wanting what someone else has. Jealousy is the fear of losing something you already have, often a relationship, to a rival. In everyday speech people often use jealous for both.
What does envy mean in the Bible?
It is a sinful resentment of another person's blessings. Passages in Proverbs, Galatians and James warn that it damages the heart and relationships, and the tenth commandment forbids coveting what belongs to a neighbour.
Is the definition of envy always negative?
Not always. Mild envy can show you what you value and push you to work toward it. It becomes harmful when it turns into resentment or a wish to see others fail.
What does "I don't envy you" mean?
It is a sympathetic remark that means your situation sounds difficult or unpleasant, and the speaker is glad not to be in it.
What does green with envy mean?
It means extremely envious. English has long linked the colour green with envy and jealousy, so the phrase paints the feeling vividly.
What is the adjective form of envy?
Envious describes the person who feels envy. Enviable is for the thing that triggers it, such as an enviable position or an enviable view.