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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A feeling of discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the possessions or qualities of another.
  2. n. The object of such feeling: Their new pool made them the envy of their neighbors.
  3. n. Obsolete Malevolence.
  4. v. To feel envy toward.
  5. v. To regard with envy.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. A feeling of uneasiness, mortification, or discontent excited by the contemplation of another's superiority, prosperity, or success, accompanied with some degree of enmity or malignity, and often or usually with a desire or an effort to discomfit or mortify the person envied: usually followed by of.
  2. n. Hatred; ill will; malice.
  3. n. Public odium; ill repute.
  4. n. An object of envy.
  5. n. Synonyms Jealousy, Envy. Jealousy is the malign feeling which is often had toward a rival, or possible rival, for the possession of that which we greatly desire, as in love or ambition. Envy is a similar feeling toward one, whether rival or not, who already possesses that which we greatly desire. Jealousy is enmity prompted by fear; envy is enmity prompted by covetousness.
  6. To regard with envy; look upon as the possessor of what is wanting in or to one's self, with a longing for it, and either with or without, a desire for the deprivation or discomfiture of him who has it: often with both the possessor and the thing possessed as objects. The verb often expresses a much milder feeling than that which is usually denoted by the noun—one that may be consistent with perfect friendship and loyalty: as, I envy you your good health; I envy you your happy temper. But the feeling of envy is apt to beget repugnance and ill will, and some degree of these qualities is generally implied by the verb as well as by the noun.
  7. To feel envy on account of; regard grudgingly or wistfully another's possession or experience of, either with or without malevolent feeling.
  8. To regard unfavorably; revolt against; oppose.
  9. To do harm to; injure.
  10. To be affected with envy; have envious feelings; regard something pertaining to another with grudge or longing: formerly often followed by at.
  11. To challenge (in a game).
  12. To vie with; emulate.
  13. To strive; contend; vie.
  14. n. A challenge (in a game); a vying; a vie.
  15. n. A contention; an attempt; an attack.
  16. n. Emulation.

Wiktionary

  1. v. obsolete To show malice or ill will; to rail.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. obsolete Malice; ill will; spite.
  2. n. 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.
  3. n. obsolete Emulation; rivalry.
  4. n. obsolete Public odium; ill repute.
  5. n. An object of envious notice or feeling.
  6. v. 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.
  7. v. 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.
  8. v. To long after; to desire strongly; to covet.
  9. v. obsolete To do harm to; to injure; to disparage.
  10. v. obsolete To hate.
  11. v. obsolete To emulate.
  12. v. To be filled with envious feelings; to regard anything with grudging and longing eyes; -- used especially with at.
  13. v. obsolete To show malice or ill will; to rail.

WordNet 3.0

  1. v. be envious of; set one's heart on
  2. v. feel envious towards; admire enviously
  3. n. spite and resentment at seeing the success of another (personified as one of the deadly sins)
  4. n. a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something that is possessed by another

Etymologies

  1. From Middle English envie, from Old French envie, from Latin invidia ("envy"), from invidere ("to look at with malice") from in + videre ("on, upon" + "to look, see"). Displaced native Middle English ande, onde ("envy") (from Old English anda, onda ("breath, emotion, envy, hatred, grudge, dislike")), Middle English nithe, nith ("envy, malice") (from Old English nīþ ("envy, hatred, malice, spite, jealousy")). (Wiktionary)
  2. Middle English envie, from Old French, from Latin invidia, from invidus, envious, from invidēre, to look at with envy : in-, in, on; see en-1 + vidēre, to see; see weid- in Indo-European roots. V., from Middle English envien, from Old French envier, from Latin invidēre. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

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‘envy’ has been looked up 4331 times, loved by 3 people, added to 33 lists, and has a Scrabble score of 10.