jealousy

noun

jeal·ou·sy ˈje-lə-sē

plural jealousies

Synonyms of jealousy next

: a jealous disposition, attitude, or feeling

a marriage destroyed by jealousy

petty jealousies

: zealous vigilance

cherish their official political freedom with fierce jealousy—

Paul Blanshard

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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.

Examples of jealousy in a Sentence

petty jealousies among political rivals a marriage ruined by infidelity and jealousy He was driven crazy with jealousy. He was unable to control his jealousies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Some dogs have been known to express unhappiness or jealousy following the arrival of a baby on the scene. —

John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025 Ince’s death has remained the subject of speculation and was the focus of Peter Bogdanovich’s 2001 film The Cat’s Meow, which suggests that Hearst mistakenly shot Ince in a fit of jealousy over Chaplin’s alleged affair with actress Marion Davies. —

Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Jan. 2025 Plus, Kitty can no longer tell if her instincts are fact-based or coming from a place of jealousy. —

Jordana Comiter, People.com, 18 Jan. 2025 Trump-watchers suggest the president-elect's jealousy reflex could already have been triggered by Musk's high-profile power flex. —

Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for jealousy