Etymology : Middle English envie, from Old French, from Latin invidia, from invidus envious, from invidEre to look askance at, envy, from in- + vidEre to see; more at WIT
Pronunciation : 'en-vE
Function : noun
Date : 13th century
1. jealousy, desire for something which belongs to another. be jealous, desire something which belongs to another. envy\en"vy\ , n.; pl. envies (#). [f. envie, l. invidia envious; akin to invidere to look askance at, to look with enmity; in against + videre to see:
see vision.].
2. malice; ill will; spite. [obs.] if he evade us there, enforce him with his envy to the people.
3. 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; as, they did this in envy of c?sar. envy is a repining at the prosperity or good of another, or anger and displeasure at any good of another which we want, or any advantage another hath above us. no bliss enjoyed by us excites his envy more. envy, to which the ignoble mind's a slave, is emulation in the learned or brave.
4. emulation; rivalry. [obs.] such as cleanliness and decency prompt to a virtuous envy.
5. public odium; ill repute. [obs.] to lay the envy of the war upon cicero. jonson.
6. an object of envious notice or feeling. this constitution in former days used to be the envy of the world.envy \en"vy\ , v. i.
7. to be filled with envious feelings; to regard anything with grudging and longing eyes; -- used especially with at. who would envy at the prosperity of the wicked? taylor.
8. to show malice or ill will; to rail. [obs.] "he has envied against the people."envy \en"vy\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. envied ; p. pr. & vb. n. envying.] [f. envier.].
9. 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. a woman does not envy a man for his fighting courage, nor a man a woman for her beauty. ollier. whoever envies another confesses his superiority. --rambler.
10. 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. i have seen thee fight, when i have envied thy behavior. jeffrey had actually envied his friends their cool mountain breezes.
11. to long after; to desire strongly; to covet. or climb his knee the envied kiss to share. gray.
12. to do harm to; to injure; to disparage. [obs.] if i make a lie to gain your love and envy my best mistress, put me against a wall. fletcher.
13. to hate. [obs.].
14. to emulate. [obs.]envy n.
15. a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something possessed by another [syn: enviousness, the green-eyed monster ].
16. spite and resentment at seeing the success of another (personified as one of the deadly sins) [syn: invidia] v 1: feel envious towards; admire enviously 2: be envious of; set one's heart on [syn: begrudge].
17. Malice; ill will; spite.
18. 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; as, they did this in envy of Cæsar.
19. Emulation; rivalry.
20. Public odium; ill repute.
21. An object of envious notice or feeling.
22. To feel envy at or towards; to be envious of; to have a feeling of uneasiness or mortification in regard to , arising from the sight of another's excellence or good fortune and a longing to possess it.
23. To feel envy on account of; to have a feeling of grief or repining, with a longing to possess ; to look with grudging upon; to begrudge.
24. To long after; to desire strongly; to covet.
25. To do harm to; to injure; to disparage.
26. To hate.
27. To emulate.
28. To be filled with envious feelings; to regard anything with grudging and longing eyes; used especially with at.
29. To show malice or ill will; to rail. spite and resentment at seeing the success of another a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something possessed by another be envious of; set one's heart on feel envious towards; admire enviously.
30. 1. Envy is the feeling you have when you wish you could have the same thing or quality that someone else has. Gradually he began to acknowledge his feelings of envy towards his mother They gazed in a mixture of envy and admiration at the beauty of the statue.
31. If you envy someone, you wish that you had the same things or qualities that they have. I don't envy the young ones who've become TV superstars and know no other world He envied Caroline her peace.
32. If a thing or quality is the envy of someone, they wish very much that they could have or achieve it. an economic expansion that was the envy of many other states.
33. green with envy: see:
green.