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Jealousy vs. Envy
Depending on who you ask, jealousy and envy are either exact synonyms, totally different words, or near-synonyms with some degree of semantic overlap and some differences. It is difficult to make the case, based on the evidence of usage that we have, for either of the first two possibilities. Both jealousy and envy are often used to indicate that a person is covetous of something that someone else has, but jealousy carries the particular sense of “zealous vigilance” and tends to be applied more exclusively to feelings of protectiveness regarding one’s own advantages or attachments. In the domain of romance, it is more commonly found than envy. If you were to say “your salt-shaker collection fills me with jealousy,” most people would take it to mean much the same thing as “your salt-shaker collection fills me with envy.” But if someone made a flirtatious comment to your partner, you would likely say that it caused you jealousy, not envy.
Synonyms
Examples of jealousy in a Sentence
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025
In her performances, Ado’s shouts and screams richly express the full range of negative emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, disgust, pity, frustration, and jealousy.
—Billboard Japan, Billboard, 1 Jan. 2025
So Hard the Unthinkable Happens—and Owner Got It on Film
With over 5,600 likes and 143 comments, users were amazed at this dog's ability to get in with the crows, noting their jealousy as getting on a crow's good side is not that simple.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
Timeless and trendy is a rare combo, and yeah, jealousy fuels the fire.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Jealousy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jealousy. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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jealousy
noun
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