envy 1 of 2

as in jealousy
a painful awareness of another's possessions or advantages and a desire to have them too their envy of their neighbor's fancy home threatened to wreck their friendship

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envy

2 of 2

verb

as in to resent
to have a resentful awareness of and desire for (another's possessions or advantages) or to feel resentment toward (someone) over possessions or advantages her coworkers envied her chummy relationship with the senior vice president they envied him because he didn't have to work for a living

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Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of envy
Noun
That standard is now the envy of so many inside the NFL, and one Campbell’s beloved core has fought tooth and nail every day, for four years, to protect. Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025 Hanukkah table runner: $11.99 Make your tablescape the envy of all your family members with the help of this Hanukkah table runner from Amazon. Christopher Murray, Fox News, 19 Dec. 2024
Verb
Admiring who? McNEAL: No, that’s not quite right ... envying. Ayad Akhtar, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2024 Through it all, the now 33-year-old has still amassed the kind of career any player would envy: 110 regular-season games with Chicago, 50 international caps, and now a strong 2024 with Washington. Steph Yang, The Athletic, 23 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for envy 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for envy
Noun
  • Louie’s nonchalant friend Murph (Alfie Gledhill), there to be part of a surprise, and Sam (Harley Wilson), Irene’s close friend who ignites Louie’s jealousy.
    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
Verb
  • Employees sometimes resent being affiliated with the larger department because of its sprawling, competing and sometimes politically charged activities.
    Frank J. Cilluffo, The Conversation, 14 Jan. 2025
  • But others resented the commission’s findings — which exposed their lack of administrative ability — and the President’s public endorsement of them.
    Bruce W. Dearstyne / Made by History, TIME, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • To understand why Germans at different levels of society backed Hitler, scholars often cite people’s deep commitment to Nazi ideology; the hatred of Jews, homosexuals, Romani, or Communists; or sheer psychopathic sadism.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Platforms originally designed to connect people and foster communities are being weaponized to spread hatred and violence.
    Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The national blindness to the depth of Moro resentment has led Philippine politicians and policymakers to treat Moros as wayward children who can be set right through minor concessions, or if those fail, through force.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
  • Cherry titrates Dylan’s outie with notes of resignation and resentment, and Turturro bolsters outside Irv — a lonely artist — with genial warmth.
    Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Envy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/envy. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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